Howl
by The Minsk
Summary: A man who's pure of heart and says his prayers by night may still become a wolf when the autumn moon is bright.
1. Bad Moon Rising

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: Hello, friends! This fic is going to be a Halloween-inspired ficlet to celebrate the upcoming season. Last year I did vampires, this year I'm tackling werewolves. I hope you like it!

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><p><strong>Howl<strong>

**Chapter One: Bad Moon Rising**

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><p>The late September moon was high in the night's sky when Finn finally emerged from an intense Booty Camp practice that had continued late into the evening. As far as Nationals was concerned, the stakes were higher than ever before as Mr. Schuester pushed them as hard as he could in order to perfect their dancing moves. It might have only been two weeks at this point, but Finn was already worn out after having to balance football, glee club and his new after school job at Burt's shop. He looked up at the vibrant full moon hanging overhead and closed his eyes against the light fall wind that cooled his sweaty brow. He hadn't trained this hard since summer football camp and allowed himself a moment of rest while answering his ringing cell phone. He smiled as he picked up the call; seeing Rachel's name flashing on the caller ID instantly brightened his mood.<p>

"Hey babe," he said with affection in his tone as he pulled out the keys to his truck.

"How was practice? Have you mastered _The Widowmaker_ yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm almost there. It takes a lot of practice to move these giant limbs where I want them to go," he muttered with annoyance. He was still bent up over being the team's weakest link in regards to dancing, and vowed to improve his dance skills no matter what the cost. He wanted that national title so bad he could almost taste it, and if it meant a few extra late night dancing drills, he would suffer through it all.

Her cheery laugh immediately lifted him from his sour mood. "Well, I'm sure you're doing great. You're so talented Finn, and I'm proud of you and your determination to succeed at this monumental task. I know how much it means to the team."

It was a good thing he was alone, since he could feel his cheeks burning from her high praise. Rachel always knew how to console him, even during the most trivial of problems. "As long as you're proud baby, I know I'm doing something right."

They shared a small giggle while he finally made it to his truck at the far end of the parking lot. He heard a noise coming from the brush around the lot, and he peeked over his shoulder to see some shaking coming from the trees. Shrugging it off as the wind, he went to go open the door of his truck when the keys slipped right out of his hand, dropping onto the dark pavement where there was no light to aide him in his search.

"Rachel, I have to call you back. I dropped my keys and I need to use my phone as a flashlight."

"Ok, just be careful, and text me when you get home," she scolded lightly.

"No problem, babe. Love you."

"I love you too, Finn. See ya." He quickly ended the phone call and dropped to his knees with his cell phone so he could search around the area. The noise from behind him was steadily increasing, but when he turned around there was no more movement coming from the trees. He sighed and returned to his task. When his hands finally grasped around the keys he could hear a low, steady growl seeping into the parking lot from somewhere close by. He shrugged off the noise, thinking it was a stray dog as he got back to his feet and wiped the dirt off of his knees. Straightening himself out, he was about to turn back towards his car when he saw something that would be ingrained in his memory forever.

It was a set of crimson red eyes that were staring at him from across the pavement. The glowing red eyes started to approach him slowly as he stood in the parking lot and tried to process what was going on.

It was an animal; that he was definitely sure of. What kind of animal, he couldn't be sure, since it was as big as a bear but had all the features of a dog. It's teeth were bared in an open snarl and liberal amounts of drool was dripping down from the large, moonlit canines. It's growl was progressively getting louder and more vicious as the instinct to run only grew stronger.

He let out a short scream of surprise when the animal lunged at him, catching him off guard as it sunk it's fangs into Finn's shoulder. Finn hit the ground and there was blood everywhere as the animal began to attack him mercilessly. The pain was unlike anything he had ever felt before as the animal ripped him apart like shreds of paper. For a moment, Finn thought he was going to die as the animal continued snarling and biting him in anyplace he could. When he saw a bright white light in front of his eyes, that's when he knew it was it; he was about to die.

"Hey! Get back!" A loud, blaring horn blew right in Finn's ear as a car pulled up, hitting the animal and forcing it off of Finn's bloody body with a loud whine. He blinked a few times against the light in his eyes but the pain in his body was too much, and he remembered little after that before everything went dark.

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><p>"Finn? Finn?"<p>

He could hear his name being called, but he was blinded from the intense light that was shining right in his face as he strained to open his eyes. For some reason, his room was so noisy he could barely stand it, and he fought against his own muscles as he lifted his hands to his ears to cover them and block the noise. It was a simple beep, but to Finn it was as painful as getting yelled at right in the ear.

"Ugh, make it stop," he moaned, his voice hoarse from disuse.

"Make what stop, honey?" His mother's normally soft voice sounded as loud as a jet engine and he pressed his hands to his ears even harder to cancel out the sound. The beeping noises around him only intensified until he thought his ears were going to start bleeding. He still refused to open up his eyes against the light.

"The beeping!" He yelled, finally opening his eyes and staring at the crowd of people surrounding his bed. Five pairs of eyes were staring at him like he was crazy, and when he removed his hands from his ears the only noise he could hear were the faint beeps from the machinery that surrounded the room.

He shook his head and all the discomfort from before was gone. That was definitely _odd._

"Are you okay, honey?" His mother's voice was shaky and he could tell instantly that she was upset. "You've been asleep for almost a week."

"A week?" He asked, shocked, and the adults in the room all nodded their heads.

"Yes, Finn, you lost a significant amount of blood. Your wounds have been healing nicely though." He nodded, lost in his own thoughts as he inhaled deeply and almost sneezed. It smelled _horrible _in this room! In fact, there were so many scents in his nose at the moment he couldn't even recognize some of them. Sniffing again, he wrinkled his brow in confusion and wondered if there was now something wrong with his nose as well. First he was hearing things, now he was smelling things. . .maybe something had happened to him after that attack.

"Finn," Burt stepped forward with Kurt at his side and he spotted Rachel in the far corner of the room, staring at him with unshed tears in her eyes. "This is your doctor, Doctor Drake, and he has some questions for you about the night you were attacked."

The doctor stepped forward and Finn immediately felt wary of this person as he approached the bed, checking his vitals and pulse before testing his blood pressure. There were still a million different scents running through his nose but when the Doctor was close enough he took a deep sniff and almost gagged. He didn't know what was wrong with his sense of smell, but all he could smell was blood and death, covering every inch of this man. He didn't even know blood had a smell or how he could sense it, but it was there. He wanted out of this hospital right away. It was definitely messing with his head.

"So Finn, tell me as much as you can about the animal that attacked you."

He caught eye contact with Rachel and she nodded her head, encouraging him to continue. "Well, I don't remember a lot. It was really dark."

"Just try, Finn. Hopefully with your help we can capture this animal so he can't hurt anyone else. You were extremely lucky your teacher found you when he did or else you might not have made it."

He looked over at his family for confirmation and they agreed with the doctor while Kurt stepped forward. "Mr. Schue left practice late and found you in the parking lot. He brought you here and called us afterwards."

"Listen," Finn said. "All I remember was that the animal was _huge_. It looked like a dog, but it couldn't have been, it was the size of a bear or something." He took a deep breath, tried to ignore the different scents that entered his sensitive nose, and continued. "I think it was, like, a wolf."

Burt and his mother shared a skeptical look. "Finn, wolves haven't been seen around this part of Ohio for decades. Animal Control was called and they're hunting the animal down. That's all that matters now." His mother's voice was still shaking and he could almost swear that he could hear her heart pounding, but he was fooling himself as the doctor pulled her out into the hallway. Burt and Kurt followed them, leaving Finn inside the room alone with Rachel. She had been completely silent since the moment he'd woken up, but now that they were alone she launched herself across the room so she could be at his side and placed a simple kiss on his forehead before he pulled her in for a hug. He must have squeezed her too hard because she yelped in surprise before pulling away.

"Hey, I love you too, but don't bruise a rib," she joked while she pushed the sweaty hair away from his forehead. He grabbed her hand softly and kissed it, thankful that she was there in the middle of all this chaos. "How are you feeling?" She asked genuinely as she looked down at him with concern lining her features.

"Weird," he admitted. "Very weird." He could have sworn that he had pulled her in for a hug as gently as possible but she had reacted like he was squeezing her to death. Add that to the noises he was hearing and his over-sensitive nose and he was starting to get concerned.

"How so?"

"I don't know, I can't explain it. I just don't feel like myself." He wanted to explain, but there was something nearby that was distracting him so badly he couldn't focus. One of his neighbors must have been hard of hearing, because the TV next door was so loud he could hear the scores for the baseball game being announced like it was happening right there in his room with him. He shrugged it off and tried to explain what was happening to his girlfriend. "Everything is just really _sensitive_; my eyes, my ears, even my nose. I don't like it."

Rachel shrugged as she helped him fluff up his pillows. "Maybe it's just a bad reaction from the anesthesia. You'll be fine in a few days."

"I hope so." The noise from the TV was becoming unbearable to Finn as he struggled to block out the sound. "Rachel, can you ask whoever is watching the baseball game to lower their TV? I can't concentrate." She shot him a momentary look of confusion before she left the room, and a moment later the rest of his family returned, relaying the news that he could return home after one final night of observation.

They all gave him hugs before leaving, and Rachel came back in a moment later so she could get a ride home from his family. He could no longer hear the annoying TV, but he could tell that there was something that Rachel was hiding from him as she leaned over to kiss him goodbye. He inhaled deeply and marveled at the scent that was coming from Rachel's skin. It was flowery and bright, like a sunny spring day. He could almost lose himself in her scent but as quick as it came it was gone, and Rachel looked worried as she left his hospital room for the night.

When all of his guests had left he fell into an uneasy sleep, where malicious red eyes continued to track him down, no mater how fast he ran.

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><p>Finn returned to school a few days after he was released from the hospital, and the doctors were happily surprised with how quickly Finn had healed from his wounds. He was still having problems with his hearing and his sense of smell, but he was learning to deal with it as the days went by. In fact, besides the problems with his nose and ears, he felt better than he'd ever felt before. Sometimes it felt like he was bursting with unstoppable energy and felt as strong as an ox. Plus he was starting to get a little better at dance practice, so he couldn't really complain. At least now he knew by second period what they were serving for lunch. Even Mr. Schue started to praise him on his growing agility, which canceled out the fact that Mr. Schue's breath smelled like pure tuna even hours after eating.<p>

It was the Thursday after he had gotten out of the hospital, and he had been living with his strange new problems for over a week when Rachel decided to sit in on their daily dance rehearsal. Normally, Rachel practiced on her own, but she wanted to see Finn's progress and even he was excited to show her his new moves. Sure, he still wasn't the most light-footed person on the team, but he was definitely improving, little by little.

"Alright guys, today we're going to be perfecting _The Widowmaker_, which we all know is the most complicated dance move in show choir. Mike and I have been pushing you pretty hard, so now we want to see the progress that you've been making. Guys first. Step on up."

Kurt, Puck, Blaine and Finn all stepped forward and got in line on the stage, spreading out and checking the area around them so they didn't fall on anything. Before the rest of the guys were ready, Finn suddenly got an overwhelming burst of energy, and the normal nervous energy he felt before dancing evaporated entirely as his vision sharpened and his senses heightened. His already powerful sense of smell was even more intense and he was pretty sure he could hear everyone on the stage breathing, even though he knew it was impossible. When Mr. Schue turned on the music he didn't hesitate for a second before starting the complicated dance move, allowing his body to move for him without hesitation as his muscled complied. His body was a blur as he executed it to perfection while the entire glee club looked on in shock.

A few weeks ago he could barely step to the beat of the music correctly. Now he had just perfected the most complicated move in show choir, without any error. He squirmed under everyone's intense stares as he shuffled back on forth on his feet, feeling awkward as his senses grew sharper than ever before. He saw Puck lean over to whisper something in Quinn's ear and even though he knew it was impossible to hear what was being said at that distance, he could still make out every word, as clear as day.

"When did Frankenteen morph into a ballerina?" Puck asked while Quinn snickered under her breath. It sounded to him like she was guffawing right in her ear, and he rubbed his hands over his eyes when the lights on stage suddenly became too bright for him to stand. With everyone's eyes still on him, Finn felt the overwhelming urge to run away, as far as his legs would take him. The urge was so strong he started to walk backwards, off the stage.

"I've never seen you move like that before, buddy, You must have been practicing really hard." Mr. Schuester said, impressed, but Finn could barely focus on the praise. His sense of smell became too strong to ignore as the urge to escape only became stronger. "Finn, is something wrong?" Mr. Schuester asked him with worry lacing his tone while his head filled with a pressure he had never felt before. Clutching his head, he mumbled "I'm fine," before exiting the stage through the back doors and away from all the prying eyes in the group. When he removed his hands from his eyes, his vision was back to the way it was before, but he was still brimming with a kind of energy that just wouldn't dissipate. His muscles ached for release. He wanted to just. . ._run_.

"Finn?" He could hear Rachel's voice echo through the halls and when he turned around, she was staring at him with both concern and worry written all over her face. She approached him slowly, and he met her halfway, pulling her close and taking a deep inhale of her beautiful scent. He didn't know why, but the smell of her calmed him down instantly, and he never wanted to let her go.

But he had to loosen his grip on her as she pulled away, and she looked into his eyes with a severity that he couldn't ignore. "What is it babe?" He asked, cupping her face in his hands while she closed her eyes and paused before elaborating.

"I don't know, Finn. I'm worried about you."

He tried to shrug it off, even though he was just as worried. "Rachel, it's been a week since I've been out of the hospital. I'm fine."

"No you're not!" She insisted, and he could almost hear her heart pick up speed as she stood there flustered."You were attacked by an_ animal_ Finn, and ever since then there has been some weird things going on with you." He had tried to ignore his strange new skills before now in order to maintain some kind of normalcy, but now that Rachel had noticed he could no longer feign indifference. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

He could feel his emotions start to build up, and the instinct to run was becoming too strong to ignore. "Babe, I told you already, I'm fine. The doctors wouldn't have let me leave the hospital if there was something still wrong with me." She didn't look convinced.

"Remember the night you woke up in the hospital? And you complained that your neighbor's TV was too loud? Well I ran through your corridor like a crazy person, trying to find the one TV that was playing a baseball game and guess what Finn? The room was about eight doors down, and the sound on the TV was barely audible. I double checked the rooms on my way back, and that was the only TV playing baseball. How could you have heard something so low that was so far away?"

He shrugged his shoulders, unable to answer the question himself. That night the TV had been loud enough to deafen him, when in reality it was all the way down the corridor. He knew that weird things had been happening to him, but whenever he tried to rationalize it he came up empty, so he was just trying to ignore it. Now that Rachel was standing here and demanding an answer, he could feel what little control he had over his emotions snap like taut rubber bands, and didn't even notice a low growl escape his mouth from somewhere deep in his throat.

"I don't know, Rachel! Just leave me alone!" Rachel stepped back from him, putting a few paces in-between them and he could smell her fear in the air. Wait, smell her _fear_? What the hell was going on with his nose?

He instantly felt bad for snapping at her, but the tenuous hold he had on his emotions was slipping, fast. He never wanted Rachel to be afraid of him, but the closer he came, the more distance she tried to put between them. She was acting like she was scared of him and he didn't like it. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I don't know what's been going on with me but I can try to explain."

"Finn," she interrupted him, pointing at his face while her skin went pale from the shock. "Your eyes are glowing_ red._"

As soon as those words left her lips Finn was immediately transported back to the parking lot on that horrible night last month, when the huge animal was staring him down with his red, murderous eyes under the full moon. The animal that was as big as a bear, but looked like the big bad wolf.

The animal with the glowing red eyes.

He could hear his own heart pounding like it was a jackhammer next to his ear, and the smell of Rachel's fear permeated the air as all of his instincts were telling him to escape. He reached out to Rachel for some consolation, but her fear only increased more as he finally gave into instinct and ran away from the tense situation.

Without another word, he bolted from the school and started to run as soon as he felt the cool autumn wind on his face. With the wind whipping through his hair he felt free, and he gave into his instincts as his legs pumped his body faster and faster through the night. The streets passed by him in a blur, and he didn't even break a sweat as he continued to run with no destination.

When he finally snapped out of the trance he had fallen into while running, the half moon was already high in the night sky. He stared up at it like it had the answers to all of his problems, but unfortunately he was left in the dark all alone, without even his belongings that he had left at school. He knew it was probably getting late, but there were too many thoughts on his mind. He could handle the weird sense of smell and the crazy hearing, but now he was dancing like he was Mike Chang and scaring his girlfriend with his creepy eyes. He had no idea what was happening to him, but he knew it had to have something to do with the animal that attacked him. It was a wolf; it had to have been. The thought was heavy on his mind as he made his way home.

By the time he made it back to his house, the lights were off and Kurt's SUV was parked in the driveway. He tried to tiptoe into his house as quietly as possible, but his mother must have had amazing hearing as well, because she called out his name as soon as he entered the kitchen.

He started to panic as the footsteps came closer, and when he caught his reflection in the dining room mirror, he had to stop himself from screaming.

His eyes were still glowing red, and seeing it up close was a shock to him as he took in the rest of his appearance. His hair was standing up in a million different directions and contrasted drastically against the red of his eyes.

That wasn't the worst part, though.

What was really freaking him out at the moment wasn't his glowing eyes or super hearing or mega smell. No. It was the sharp canine-like teeth that pointed down below his lips, making him look like a strange kind of monster. He lifted up his lip and touched the point of his teeth with his tongue, hissing when he felt exactly how sharp they were.

He was looking into a mirror and a monster was staring back at him.

He couldn't let his mother see this.

When she entered the dining room area and spotted Finn by the mirror, he quickly pushed past her, so fast that she couldn't see his face at all. How would he be able to explain this to his parents if he couldn't even explain it to himself?

"Finn? What's the meaning of this? Where have you been all night? It's almost midnight!" He ignored her as he took the stairs two-at-a-time in hopes of escaping his mother's questions.

"Nothing, Mom. I was just out."

"Out?" Carole repeated, incredulous. "Finn, Mr. Schue called before, extremely concerned about you. Rachel has been tying up my phone line all night looking for you. Kurt said you were acting weird at rehearsal. You never hide things from me Finn, so I want to know what's so important that you can't be honest with me."

He could feel her words dig into him, leaving him feeling raw and guilty, but at the moment he couldn't worry about his mother's feelings, he had other more important things to worry about. He ignored her once more and entered his room, slamming the door shut without saying another word to his mom. He immediately went to the mirror in his bedroom and started analyzing his face. He was beginning to panic and with every passing second, his body continued to change. When he looked down at his hands he noticed his nails lengthening into claws. Looking back up at his reflection elicited a true shout from him, when he noticed his ears stretching up into points, like an elf. It felt like his body was pulling him into a million directions and the pain was almost unbearable.

"Finn," he could hear Burt's loud, authoritarian voice echo through the room and his panic increased a hundred-fold. "Finn, I know I'm not your father, but this is my house and you will open this door right now or else there will be consequences."

"Maybe he's on drugs," he heard his mother whisper to her husband through the solid wooden doors. He knew he wasn't supposed to hear that, but he responded to it anyway.

"I'm not on drugs!" He yelled, practically snarling, and all was silent for a few moments.

"Finn, honey," normally his mother's voice had the power to calm him down but right now he felt the exact opposite as his body continued to change in front of his eyes. His head hurt and he had the overwhelming instinct to run again. When he was running, the outside world didn't even exist. "We just want to know that you're okay. You haven't been acting like yourself and we're worried. Now please open the door."

"I can't," he moaned as he stared at his ever-changing reflection. He didn't even look like himself anymore, he looked like some strange hybrid that nightmares were made of.

"Finn, if you don't open this door in three seconds, I'm breaking it down!" Burt yelled. His heart started pounding as he thought about his parent's reaction. They would disown him! Their son was a freak!

"One!" He approached the door but still refused to open it, looking in the mirror once more and shuddering at his monstrous appearance.

"Two!" He closed his eyes as he imagined the screams and took a deep breath in preparation.

"Three!" Finn finally opened his door and waited for the yelling to commence as he took shallow breaths. When he didn't hear his parents wailing in horror, he opened his eyes and saw the disappointment on Carole and Burt's faces.

"Was that so difficult?" Burt asked, and Finn looked down at his hands to see that his fingernails were no longer the heinous claws that they'd been. He felt his teeth with his tongue and they were back to normal too.

Burt clapped a hand on Finn's shoulder. "Listen buddy, I know being a teenager isn't easy. Your body is constantly changing and there are an infinite amount of decisions that need to be made. We can't always be there to tell you what to do, but we expect you to make the right choices for yourself."

Finn sighed, thankful that it had been some sort of strange nightmare. "I'm sorry about before, guys, but i'm not on drugs though. I just needed some time to unwind."

His mother laughed nervously. "We never said you were, sweetheart."

"We left some dinner in a tupperware container on top of the microwave. Get something to eat and then get ready for bed. You've got a big game to get ready for this weekend and you need your rest." He sighed when he thought about the game on Saturday, and his already busy schedule was stretched way too thin for him to keep track of everything. The pressure was almost too much, but this was what he wanted for his senior year. He couldn't back out of his responsibilities now.

"Thanks Mom, thanks Burt." He hugged his mother and kissed her goodnight before he finally re-entered his room and closed the door behind him. He still didn't know what was happening with him, but now that he was alone again he went right back into the bathroom and saw his eyes glowing red once more, almost pulsing to the beat of his own heart. He thought of what his step-father had just told him and scoffed bitterly at his tainted reflection.

"I'm no teenager," he said to himself as the glowing red eyes stared right back at him. "I'm a monster."

. . . . . . . . . . .

Until next time. . .Don't Stop, Reviewing!

Merci mille fois, mes amis!


	2. Instinct

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: This fic has me feeling positively giddy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: Instinct<strong>

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><p>He didn't sleep well at all that night; he was restless in his slumber and fought against the horrible nightmares that haunted him while he slept. Glowing red eyes, tracking him down mercilessly as he tried to run through the dense forest that surrounded him. When he was running, he was free. When he was running, the wolf was in control.<p>

Pumping his legs faster and faster in his perpetual nightmare, he embraced the monster he had become as the trees passed him by in a blur; his feet barely touching the ground as he flew through his sanctuary. In between the trees and the grass he was moving so fast he couldn't be seen, and the glowing red eyes could no longer see him as he passed through the woods like a shadow in the night.

He woke up in a drenching sweat, his sheets soaked with perspiration as the intensity of the nightmare startled him out of his distressed slumber. He took a deep breath as he stretched out his limbs and could smell the coffee brewing downstairs, along with the toast that his mother was burning. Trying to ignore the overload of scents he begrudgingly got up from his bed and hesitated before looking at himself in the mirror. Last night he had finally calmed down long enough to stop the changes before he passed out from exhaustion. This morning his eyes were still glowing red, and nothing he tried could make it stop.

"Dammit!" He yelled, slamming his fist down on the marble of his sink in the bathroom and cracking the impenetrable stone right at the corner. He stared at his fist and there wasn't even a scratch on his skin. It didn't even hurt.

"Finn?" He could hear his mother calling him from downstairs and stared at his red eyes in the reflection of the mirror. "I heard a noise, are you alright up there?" He could hear her walking upstairs and it sounded like a marching band was stomping outside of his door. He quickly grabbed his pair of sunglasses off of his dresser, threw them on his face, and leaped back into bed, quickly covering his face with the sheets.

"I'm fine, Mom," he said weakly, hoping he could feign sickness and skip school altogether. Going to school meant having to see Rachel, and face up to the phenomenon that had happened last night. What was he supposed to say? _Sorry I scared you last night, Rachel, but I'm a freaky wolf-man now and I can't control it. _"I don't feel well today. I think I might stay home." He coughed for affect and his mother came to his bedside and placed a hand on his forehead, pulling it back immediately when she felt his temperature.

"Oh my God, Finn, you're burning up!"

"I am?" He said, surprised.

"Is Finn staying home from school today?" Kurt poked his head into his room and Finn ducked under his sheets even further. Kurt always noticed everything, so he couldn't let his step-brother see him wearing sunglasses; he would know something was wrong. "How come he gets to stay home the day before the big game but I can't stay home the day of my French exam?"

_Shit,_ he thought to himself, _Beiste is going to kill me if I miss this practice. . . _

"Because Finn obviously has a fever and doesn't feel well, Kurt. You wanted to stay home because of a bad hair day."

"Every young person needs a day off too, you know! My excuses are just as valid as anyone else's and it's not my fault that the weather is too humid for my pomade to set properly."

"Enough, Kurt. I'm calling the doctor for Finn so he could get checked out and I'll have to explain to Beiste that her quarterback will not be attending practice." Doctor? He didn't want to see a doctor like this! "If the fever doesn't go down he might have to miss the game."

"No way!" Finn said, pulling the sheets off and jumping out of bed with the sunglasses still on. Tomorrow was a division game and freak or not, he had to play. "I don't want to see a doctor, Mom. I'm fine, really." He rushed into the bathroom with some clothes to get dressed. He would rather sit through a day at school than risk having a doctor see him like this. If he started having problems, he would just find a place to hide until it went away. As for Rachel, he would just have to try and avoid her until he learned how to control his problem completely.

"Is he wearing sunglasses inside?" Kurt asked his mother as they exited the room, leaving him alone to get dressed while he sighed in relief that they hadn't seen anything strange.

He spent the next ten minutes staring at his reflection in the mirror, trying to figure out how to make the changes stop before he had to leave for school. If he learned to control it he would be able to feel normal again, but he didn't know where to start. So far only his eyes seemed to be different, so he hoped he was somehow getting better at this, even though he still didn't know what was happening to him. Every scenario he had considered was too ridiculous to actually believe, but he was running out of options as images of the animal attack last month flashed through his mind.

The more he thought about the animal, the wolf that had bitten him, the more his body started to react and change. A pain in his jaw signified that his fangs were pushing through, and the mirror in front of him confirmed it as his hair started to grow longer and thicker around his face. There was a pressure in his head that started to build until his eyes were a pulsing crimson red, and he closed them in hopes that he could stop the change.

_Relax, Finn. Calm down. _For some reason he heard Rachel's voice in his head trying to comfort him, and he thought about the way she smelled and the feeling of her in his arms when he held her close. His heart ached when he thought about the fear he saw on her face and the scent of it, clogging up his nose with it's bitterness. He didn't want her to be afraid of him, but now it was too late. She deserved better than a monster, he thought to himself as he took deep, steady breaths.

When he opened up his eyes once more, the reflection staring back at him was as normal as he remembered it. Letting out a huge sigh of relief, he held onto the calming thoughts in his head as he finished getting ready for school.

With Rachel on his mind he set off to start his day, wanting to see her and somehow avoid her at the same time.

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><p>She was looking for him, he could tell. From the second he had entered the school he had been trying to avoid Rachel, but she was the one on the hunt today; trying to find him and corner him about the events of last night. Since he still didn't know how to explain it to himself, he was trying to avoid the subject altogether, thus avoiding Rachel in the process. Every time he entered a hallway, her fragrance lingered in the air, and it was so powerful to him that he could even pick up traces of it in the cafeteria, standing out amongst the scent of food and the various people that were packed into the space. It was an annoying talent, but a valuable one, since he could smell her coming and react accordingly. Every time he caught a whiff of her scent he ran in the other direction, even going so far as to skip English altogether because he shared the class with her. He knew he would have to pay for it later, but he couldn't be bothered to care.<p>

He hated avoiding his own girlfriend, but he couldn't see any other option as he kept fighting against his overwhelming instincts all day long. Every time he felt the changes begin he tried to fight it, but his eyes had been glowing all day. Luckily for him, his teachers let him get away with wearing the sunglasses in class so he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing his eyes. It was his teeth and hands he was more worried about, and he barely spoke to anyone all day long.

Finally, when three o'clock came, Finn said a silent cheer of victory under his breath as he made it downstairs into the locker room. He had successfully completed his day without changing or running into Rachel, and he was enthusiastic as he started to change in the locker room, humming a tune under his breath.

Football practice was the standard routine. They ran drills while Finn warmed up his arm and he took some time to run around the track and get rid of some of the anxious energy that had been building up since the end of classes. Feeling the wind through his hair, whipping against his face, was exhilarating as he felt the power pump through his muscles.

"Hudson, let's start running some plays! You're not on the damn track team, you're the quarterback! Act like one!" Beiste yelled at him while he finished his light run, and he jogged up to the rest of the team in full uniform, slapping the helmet onto his head and securing the chin strap. He hesitantly took off the sunglasses, and hoped that no one could see his eyes through the gear. Running had cleared his mind, but his new condition still made him nervous.

Beiste gave them their usual pep-talk, emphasizing how important tomorrow's game was against Toledo. Finn was feeling the pressure whenever Beiste's eyes landed on him, and he tried to shake off the nervous energy that was starting to accumulate inside of him. Clenching his fists, he fought as hard as he could against the changes and tried to stay as focused as possible.

"Alright, I want all of team A in position. Hudson, run the plays we went over on Wednesday."

"Yes, Coach." He gathered his team together and ran over the play with them once before getting into formation. With Puck in front of him and Mike to his side, he thought he was fully covered when the ball snapped into his waiting hands. Pulling it back into throwing position, he was searching for a open when he was suddenly sacked hard, landing on the ground like a ton of bricks and having all of the air pushed out of his chest. More guys piled on top of him and the weight was almost unbearable. He gasped for air, losing focus, and his vision started to go red. In that moment something inside of him snapped, and all of the control that he'd been cultivating throughout the day dissipated like it was never there.

"Get off of me!" He snarled loudly, a growl erupting from the depths of his throat. The immense weight that had piled on top of him now felt like nothing, and he pushed the football players off of him like they were weightless. One kids flew up in the air and landed a few yards away from where Finn had been tackled; the crack of bone echoing across the field like the crack of a whip. By the time he made it back to his feet he was the center of attention, and when he looked down at the claws that were lengthening on his hands, he knew he had to get the hell out of there,_ fast. _

"Hudson, what the hell, man?" The kid moaned, grabbing his shin. "I think you broke my leg."

"That kid's an _animal_." He could hear some players whispering to each other and he couldn't even deny the accusation. He _was _an animal. A dangerous one. Coach Beiste ran onto the field with a first aid kit and called the boy's parents. What was he supposed to do now?

"I'm. . .," he hesitated, glancing at Puck and Mike who were staring at Finn like he was a stranger. When he made eye contact with Puck the mohawked boy jumped slightly from shock, and Finn knew that his friend had seen his glowing red eyes. "I'm sorry. I gotta go." He turned around and bolted at full sped towards the locker room, slamming the door shut behind him while he started to pace and figure out his options.

Maybe he should stop coming to school altogether? Maybe he should just run away so he could never hurt anyone ever again? He didn't mean to break that kid's leg, honestly, it was just his instincts that were overwhelming him and he couldn't control it. He didn't know_ how _to control it!

"Hudson!" He could smell Puck before he heard him coming, which was unfortunate for him since Puck's jock strap had probably never been washed. "Yo, Finn! I saw you come in here, I know you can hear me."

"Go away, Puck," he said, trying to keep his voice even and tamper down the gritty snarl that had settled in his voice. He ran his tongue over his teeth and could feel his canines lengthen into fangs. As Puck slowly approached him he turned away, facing the rows of lockers so his friend couldn't see his face. He punched the locker in front of him and when he removed his hand, there was a dent in the metal the size of his fist.

"Listen dude, I don't know what's been going on with you lately, but what I saw was just plain weird."

"Just leave it alone, Puck. You didn't see anything."

"Hey," Puck said, sounding offended. He wanted to just run away, but he couldn't risk Puck seeing his face as tensions grew higher. "I might have skipped every math class since Pre-Algebra, but I know what I saw. And I just saw you throw around four linebackers like they were stuffed with fluffy cotton balls."

He was losing control of both his emotions and his body as the changes continued, and no matter what he tried he couldn't get it to stop. The anxiety continued to build as Puck stood there, refusing to leave without an answer. He stepped forward and lightly punched Finn's upper arm, hoping to get a response or a reaction from him. Well it worked, because the simple action made his vision go blood red as he turned on his friend and team-mate with a snarl.

Grabbing him by the shoulders, he lifted Puck straight off of the ground and slammed his back against the rows of lockers, Puck's eyes widening with shock as he looked directly into Finn's glowing red ones. "I said, _leave me alone_!" He roared, screaming at Puck at eye level.

"Dude, what the _fuck _is wrong with your face?" Puck said, seemingly unfazed. He growled again as a warning before he suddenly dropped Puck to the ground. "Ow! That hurt asshole!" Something caught his attention, so he ignored Puck's indignant outcry and instead focused his senses so he could pick up on the intrusion. He could hear footsteps entering the locker room and realized that more than one person was coming. Puck was still staring at him and his deformed face while Finn started to panic. It was bad enough that someone had already seen him, now the whole school was going to know he was a freak!

"Get out of here," Finn turned to face Puck and the boy was pointing for the back exit to the locker room. "I'll cover for you, just go." Finn made eye contact with his friend and nodded in gratitude before he left.

"Thanks, man. I owe you."

"You're damn right you owe me! I better get an explanation or else I'm coming to school on Monday with a box of Milk-Bones, just for you."

He didn't appreciate the joke at his expense, but Finn nodded once more before heading out of the back exit. Running through the corridors, he tried to find a safe place to calm down and try to focus, and headed for the auditorium, which he knew would be empty. When he cracked the doors open and found it completely vacant, he let out a huge sigh of relief and headed out onto the stage, which always helped him clear his head. For the first time all day he felt completely at peace as he stared out into the empty seats and breathed in the calming scent in the air. It reminded him of Rachel, probably because she was always here, and he could feel the anxious energy melt away as his body slowly went back to normal. He pulled the football jersey over his head, removed his gear, and plopped it all down on stage while he sat in his pants and t-shirt, looking out into the vast audience with a million questions running through his head.

How long was he going to be like this? Would it ever stop? Would he ever learn to control himself or should he just drop out of school altogether? How was he ever going to explain this to Rachel?

"Finn?" The soft, familiar voice echoed throughout the auditorium and Finn turned around to see Rachel standing on stage left, looking at Finn with sadness etched deeply into the contours of her face. She approached him slowly, and even though Finn wanted to run from her, the broken look in her eyes kept him in his place. At least now he looked normal; the scent of her salty tears was stuck in his nose and he could almost feel her sadness radiating off of her petite frame.

She was pissed at him; he could definitely tell. He would be pissed too if Rachel was the one sneaking around and avoiding him, so he knew he owed her some kind of explanation, but what would he even say?

"Hi, Rachel," he said, when she had finally approached him. Her response was a deep frown and a swift slap in the face. It didn't hurt him, but he kind of wanted it to.

_"__Hi, Rachel?"_ She repeated, incredulous. "You left me at school alone last night filled with questions, you spent all night out somewhere and refused to answer your phone, and today you've been avoiding me like the plague and all I get is _'__Hi, Rachel'_?" Her voice held a lilt of hysteria and he winced as her words hit home. She started jabbing him in the chest with her pointer finger for affect and the guilt rolled through him in waves.

"Rachel, please let me explain."

"Oh, you're _going_ to explain, Mister! You're going to explain everything to me right after I do this." She looked like she was going to slap him again, but instead she immediately jumped into his arms, shocking him while he balanced their weight. He caught her while she latched her arms around his neck, finding his lips and kissing him until he snapped out of the shock long enough to reciprocate. Peppering kisses along his cheek and jaw, she held onto him like her life depended on it as her beautiful scent filled his senses.

"I was _so worried_ about you," she whispered into his ear. He could smell the pungent odor of salt mixing in with her natural scent and it pained him to know that she was so upset. He held onto her just as tightly, mindful of his strength, as he took the comfort she offered him so willingly.

"I'm sorry, babe." He said, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply, losing himself in the blissful scent.

"I thought something happened to you again. I thought you were hurt."

Stroking her hair softly, he held onto her like his own personal life-line, the anchor that kept him grounded when he his whole life was lost at sea. "I'm not hurt, Rachel. I'm fine," he lied. He might not have been hurt, but he definitely wasn't fine.

"I had such terrible nightmares last night, Finn." Sh said, rubbing the hair at the back of his neck and making goosebumps erupt down his arms. "I'm scared."

"What did you dream about?" He asked, wanting to keep the focus off of him for a while.

"You," she said, her voice cracking from the tears. "You were being chased, Finn. You were hurt and there was an animal chasing you and there was blood everywhere." He shuddered as she explained her dream in detail. "And your eyes were red, just like they were last night."

His heart practically stopped beating when those words escaped her lips, and all of his worst fears were coming true as she looked in his still brown eyes for an explanation.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rach," he lied as he placed her back down on the ground. He missed the feeling of her in his arms instantly, and the comfort that her scent provided him.

"Yes, you do! Don't you dare try to lie to me, Finn Hudson, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

The tension he had felt before was starting to return as he stared down his petite girlfriend, the only person he couldn't lie to. They had made a promise to one another when they started dating again; no more secrets, no more pretending. Wasn't that exactly what he was doing to her right now? Lying and keeping secrets and pretending?

"Rachel," he said as his voice suddenly became grity and raw. He was changing again and even though he was surrounded by Rachel's calming scent he couldn't make it stop. "Something is happening to me. I don't know how to stop it." Her scent wrapped around him again as she slowly walked toward him, placing a small hand on his cheek so she could tilt his head up and look in his eyes.

"Shh," she said softly, even though he could hear her loud and clear. "They're red again." How could she possibly be so calm when he was in the middle of having a nervous breakdown? Shouldn't she be afraid? Why wasn't she running away screaming?

Deep brown clashed with violent red as Finn and Rachel stood on stage together in silence, Rachel staring at his face intently while Finn tried to make the changes stop. Nothing he tried was working, and he felt the painful ache in his jaw that signified the emergence of his fangs. He didn't know if she even noticed, but she didn't seem to care as she closed the distance between them slowly, standing on her tiptoes so she could reach his face.

Before their lips made contact, he pushed her softly away from him. "W-What are you doing?"

"I want to try something," was her simple response before she closed the distance between them, resting her lips on his and kissing him with a torturous kind of hesitance. With a strangled growl, he lifted her back up into his arms and reciprocated in earnest, coaxing her lips open with his tongue so he could taste the sweetness of her mouth. She was willing to comply as their bodies melded against one another, Finn supporting her weight while she wrapped her legs around his torso for support. He lost all control of his emotions in the bliss of her arms, where her scent wrapped around him like a caress. There was no need to fight against his nature anymore as he succumbed to the pull of instinct and lost himself in the bliss of their love.

Slipping his hands under her shirt, her smooth skin glided against his fingertips as he held onto her body, enjoying her moans as his hand rested on her breast. Her sharp inhale of breath made him pause momentarily, but his animal instinct was to keep going and lose himself in the pleasure she provided him. He squeezed her breast softly and she tried to pull away, breaking their lips apart and gasping for breath as his ministrations continued.

"Finn, stop," she moaned as he nibbled on the skin of her neck. The animal inside of him was begging to be released as he savored the taste of he salty skin. He was so lost in his instincts, he didn't even hear her request as he squeezed her breast once more, harder this time. His claws must have scratched her skin, because she yelped in pain, and he emerged from his trance when he smelled a faint trace of blood in the air.

"Ah!" She cried out from the pain. As if her skin were on fire, he released her quickly and leaped away from her, landing clear across the stage as he put as much space as he could between himself and the girl he loved. She was staring at his figure with wide eyes while he tried to hide from her view. First she had seen his eyes, and now she had seen him cross the stage in a single leap and was rubbing the spot where his claws had dug into her tender skin. Feeling more than a little ashamed of himself, he turned away from her so she couldn't see the monster he had become. He didn't need to look in a mirror to know that he looked like a wild animal, but Rachel didn't have to see him like this. The tone of her voice, the pain and fear he had heard there, was echoing in his head mercilessly as he stared down at the claws on his fingers.

"I- I'm sorry," he stuttered, his emotions spiraling out of control. He had _hurt_ Rachel, and he couldn't risk that happening again, even if it was just a scratch.

"No, Finn, it's my fault, I pushed you. . ."

Shaking his head, he rudely interrupted her as he retreated into the darkness of the backstage area. "No, Rachel, it's my fault. I shouldn't be around you, I know that now. It's not safe for you to be around me while I can't control myself."

"Finn, please tell me what's going on. I can help you." Scoffing bitterly, he shook his head and stared at her from the darkened wings, where his glowing eyes were the only things she could see from her position on stage.

"No you can't, Rachel. No one can help me." And for the second night in a row, Finn left Rachel crying and alone, with questions he didn't know how to answer.

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><p>Until next time, Don't Stop... Reviewing!<p>

Merci mille fois, mes amis!


	3. Taking Control

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: So thanks to my muse Veronica, I have a pretty good idea of the direction that I'm taking this fic. It's going to be longer than I originally planned, but some drama is coming up soon that should make things more interesting.

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><p><strong>Chapter Three: Taking Control<strong>

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><p>Numerous clouds scattered the night sky above him, but the few slivers of moonlight that filtered through the clouds was more than enough light to guide Finn through the darkness of the streets of Lima. Running until the roads became fields and the fields became woods, he allowed his instincts to take full control of him as he lost himself to the thrill of adrenaline that coursed through his veins. He was running as fast as his legs could carry him, so fast that the world around him appeared to be nothing but a blur as he put as much distance between him and his hometown as possible. No one was safe as long as he was within city limits. He had already hurt too many people, and he had no idea what other kind of damage he was capable of. At least the changes had reversed and he looked relatively normal as he ran through the wilderness at lightning speed.<p>

Running until his lungs were burning from the exertion, he found himself in the middle of a dense canopy of trees when he finally became cognizant of his surroundings. His eyesight was so sharp he could see the small creatures of the forest running in the brush, and count the number of leaves shaking in the wind on the branches above him, even in the vast darkness of the night. It was like having night vision in one of his video games, except he didn't need the expensive military-grade goggles. He took a deep breath and inhaled all of the various scents of the forest, tying to sort them all out and commit them to memory. As long as he had these new abilities, he might as well learn how to use them properly. He could smell the fragrance of the autumn flowers, and the pungent rot of the fallen leaves mixed with the crisp smell of grass.

When another, completely foreign smell entered his nose however, his senses went on full alert as he tried to recognize the intruder. Whatever it was, it smelled terrible, and he couldn't control the growl that escaped his throat as a shadow emerged from the forest around him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The man said softly as he approached Finn in the woods. He was older than Finn was, definitely in his early 20's, and Finn probably had about three inches on him, even though this man was on the taller side. His frame was bulky, yet muscular; he looked like a wrestler and his body was stocky and thick. His hair was as black as the night sky that hung overhead, and as he approached Finn with a wicked smirk on his face, his eyes started to glow a violent red. "The smells can be so overwhelming but so beautiful at the same time."

Whoever this person was, he was a freak just like him.

"Who are you?" Finn asked, putting as much distance in-between him and this new stranger.

"I'm your new best friend," the man said, and Finn did not trust that smile. "Warren Rodgers," he said amicably as he stuck out a hand for Finn to shake. He eyed it warily and shook it with hesitance.

"Finn Hudson," he said, noticing the man's strong grip. "How did you find me here?"

The man pointed to his nose with a smile. "Smelled you, dude. Plus, I heard you coming from a mile away. You gotta work on your stealth, man, you're too easy to track."

Finn shrugged off his remarks and tried to remain calm while his head was swimming with questions. "I don't understand. What do you want with me?"

"I have a proposition for you, Finn," the man began to circle around Finn and deep down he knew he shouldn't be trusting him. "I know what you are."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Finn said, feigning ignorance.

"Yes you do. And If I were you, I would start making plans for the full moon. It's coming up sooner than you think." Finn's eyes followed the figure as he crept around the open field.

"The full moon?" He repeated, completely clueless. "What about it?" The man stopped in his tracks and stared at Finn incredulously while the teen shuffled in place under the critical glare.

"Tell me you haven't figured out what's going on yet!" The man, Warren, said with a laugh. Finn felt the overwhelming urge to punch him but tried to remain calm as he felt the anger rise within him. "Oh man, this is too easy!" Finn felt foolish as the complete stranger in front of him continued to laugh at his expense. He went to shove the man out of anger but in an instant Warren was gone, reappearing behind Finn in a flash as he violently pulled his arms behind his back, trapping him in place while the stranger snarled in his ear. When Finn turned to look at his face he had the same sharp fangs hanging over his lips for Finn to see, and his black hair was now longer, and more unruly as it bordered his face and glowing red eyes.

"Get the hell off of me!" Finn was using all the strength he could summon but it was still no match for Warren, who currently held him in a tight and dizzying head lock.

"I wouldn't do that If I were you, puppy. You don't even know what you're dealing with yet." His voice was severe as he whispered in Finn's ear. "Meet me here on Halloween, the night of the next full moon, and all of your questions will be answered." Warren released Finn from his grip and backed up into the shadows while Finn struggled to gain control of his raging emotions.

"Wait!" he yelled, and the figure paused momentarily before grinning wickedly.

"Yes?"

"I'm not showing up here unless you answer some questions _now_," Finn emphasized, and the man in front of him narrowed his eyes before responding.

"Go ahead."

"Is there a cure for this thing?" He asked, feeling foolish as the man continued to grin. "Am I ever going to be normal again?" Approaching him slowly, Warren emerged from the shadows once more, his previous grin now replaced with a compassionate smile.

"Come here on Halloween, the night of the full moon, and you'll get all the answers you want, Finn. You _will _feel normal again soon, I promise." The man clamped a hand on his shoulder with a squeeze, and Finn felt slightly comforted at the thought of being normal again. At least he didn't feel so alone anymore; this man in front of him was proof that there were others out there like him. All he had to do was figure out how to control it until Halloween and he was set. The tension slowly started to ebb away as the man left him alone in the wilderness, his thoughts and troubles blowing away in the autumn wind as he set off at a light run.

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><p>Feeling more optimistic than he'd felt in days, Finn ran home slower than he was capable of, trying to find landmarks to help him remember the place where he had met Warren. Halloween wasn't for another two whole weeks, but he had to figure out a way to pinpoint the place where he'd met the other man, so he could find the answers he'd been desperately searching for. The thought of him finding a cure was the only thought on his mind as he crossed the border back into Lima, heading over to the one friend he could trust with his little problem.<p>

He hesitated for a moment before knocking on the Puckerman's front door. Should he really trust his secret with Puck of all people? While he knew that Rachel was the more trustworthy option, Puck had seen too much already, and he was Finn's only chance for help. He didn't want Rachel to see him like this, not until he learned to control himself, and with two weeks left until the full moon he needed to learn some restraint, _fast_.

"Who is it?" Came a yell from inside, and Finn rolled his eyes at his friends courteous manners.

"It's me, dude. It's Finn." There was a beat of silence before the door flew open, Puck standing in the doorway with a triumphant grin on his face.

"Fido!" He yelled, pulling him inside. "I see you've been to the groomers. Looking nice."

"Shut up, asshole," he said bitterly, "It's not funny." Finn took a tentative sniff and Puck's odor was the only smell he could detect in his house. "Are we alone?"

"Yeah. My mom took my sister to a birthday party so I'm here alone tonight. Couldn't find anyone to buy me beers so I've been killing time on my XBox. Wanna play?"

"Sure," Finn said, grateful that Puck wasn't making a big deal out of what he'd seen earlier. This was about as normal as he'd felt since the attack so he wasn't going to take it for granted.

He followed Puck into the bedroom, and plopped on the bed while Puck tossed him a controller. He caught it with one hand and sat back, relaxing while they started to play in amicable silence.

It was another 15 minutes before either of them spoke, and when Puck finally opened his mouth he dropped a bombshell. "So, how long have you been a werewolf, Hudson?"

His fingertips froze on the buttons as the words were processed in his brain. "A _werewolf_." He repeated under his breath, disliking the way it rolled off of his tongue. When he thought of that word he thought of bad horror movies and sappy girly romance novels. "I'm not a werewolf, dude."

"Yes you are," Puck insisted. "I saw it with my own eyes. The hair, the claws, the teeth, the _eyes_," he emphasized. Finn could feel the pressure growing in his head as he struggled to gain control of himself. His muscles started to ache as he felt the changes occurring, right in front of his best friends face.

"Stop it, Puck! I can't control it and pissing me off is not a good idea."

"So, stop being a pussy about it and learn some control. You're gonna kill someone during the game tomorrow if you don't." Puck returned to his video games, completely nonplussed that his best friend since elementary school just transformed into a monster in front of his very eyes. He looked down at his hands and his claws were fully extended, along with his fangs. Puck didn't even seem to care.

"How could you be so chill about this, Puck. I'm a fucking freak!" Puck shrugged his shoulders and didn't tear his eyes off of the screen as he explained.

"I don't know, man, I think it's pretty damn cool. When I was a kid I used to say I wanted to be a werewolf when I grew up, so whatever."

"_So whatever?_" Finn repeated, his anger growing. "I hurt someone today at football practice, Puck. I hurt Rachel too, by accident. I have to learn how to control this thing until I can find a cure."

"There's a cure?" Puck asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the game. "Well then what are you bitching about?" Finn curled his lip up in an open snarl as a growl bubbled out of his throat.

"I don't know for sure if there is a cure, but I have to learn some control, jerk! So I don't rip apart my girlfriend the next time I want to make out with her."

Puck scoffed as he returned to his game. "So, do the thing you claim is so helpful when you're trying not to bust a nut. Make it work for your little werewolf problem."

"Stop saying that word!" He barked, running a hand over his face in frustration. Sure the mailman was useful when Rachel and him were getting hot and heavy, but would it really work when his emotions were raging out of control?

He closed his eyes and tried to picture it; his car slamming against the mailman as the government worker flipped over the hood. It still brought a shiver down his spine whenever he pictured it, and he could actually feel some of the tension dissipate as he took deep steady breaths; counting backwards from ten as he relived hitting the mailman over and over in his head.

When his eyes opened once more, his vision was back to normal, and the hands that were still gripping the Xbox controller were claw-free.

"Holy shit," Finn whispered as he looked at his reflection in Puck's mirror. "It worked."

Puck slapped a hand on Finn's back and grinned. "See dude? No problem."

Turning back to the video game, Finn scoffed as he interpreted Puck's words. It might have looked easy, but it had taken monumental focus and control to reverse the changes and Finn already felt exhausted. "Yeah, easier said than done, man. But now what am I going to do about Rachel?"

"Berry?" He repeated with a shrug. "If I were you, I would release the wolf all over that little lamb. She loves fluffy animals and shit."

Finn threw the controller with all his strength and it hit Puck square in the shoulder with a loud crack. "I'm not a fucking fluffy animal!" He roared.

"Hey, chill! I was just joking." Rubbing the spot on his head where the controller had made contact, Puck narrowed his eyes at Finn while he struggled to remain calm. "So what are you going to do? Ignore her until you find a cure? This is _Rachel Berry_ we're talking about and she is batshit insane when it comes to you."

"I know," he sighed, wishing there was some way he could make her understand what was happening to him. "I have to talk to her. I don't know what to say, and I'll probably have to beg for forgiveness for being such a jerk to her, but I just have to learn how to control myself around her until Halloween." She had already seen enough to know that something was seriously wrong with him, but the last thing he wanted to do was admit to her that he was a werewolf when he barely believed it himself.

_At least there's a cure_, he thought to himself, letting the simple thought bring him the solace he so desperately craved. _Warren said I'd be normal again. All I have to do is stay in control for the next two weeks and I'll have all the answers I need. _

"What's the deal with Halloween?" Asked Puck, snapping him out of his tumultuous thoughts.

"It's the next full moon. I met this guy in the forest and we're supposed to be meeting up on Halloween." He spent the next few minutes describing Warren to Puck, and explaining the conversation that they'd had in the middle of the woods. Puck looked intrigued that there were others out there like him, but was skeptical when Finn finished his story.

"I don't know, Hudson. This guy might _say_ that there's a cure, but you don't know that for sure. How do you know that you can trust him?"

"I don't, Puck, but it's my only option. He has the answers I need, so I have to follow his rules. Until then all I have to do is try to stay in control and lay as low as possible."

"Alright," Puck said, nodding his head. "But how do you expect to lay low when you're the starting quarterback at tomorrow's division game?" Turning back to the television with a deep frown on his face, Finn shook his head as he struggled with the one and only answer.

"Easy. I'm quitting football."

* * *

><p>"You're doing <em>what?<em>" Screamed Coach Beiste as Finn stood in her office, completely petrified as the woman in front of him was turning a violent shade of purple from her growing rage.

"I'm sorry, Coach, but I can't play for McKinely anymore. I've been way too busy with my glee club duties and I'm trying to earn money for college at my step-dad's shop."

"Finn, we've been over this already," Coach Beiste said evenly, trying to rationalize with the teen. "At the beginning of the year we called your parents and Mr. Schuester into the office to talk about your heavy extra-curricular activity schedule, and you promised us all that you would be able to balance it. What happened?"

He shook his head, trying his best to control the emotions that were starting to build up inside of him. The other players on the team were already getting dressed and ready for the game, so he could hear their whispers echoing in his hyper-sensitive ears as he struggled to focus. They were calling him a loser, a quitter, an asshole and a douche. It didn't even bother him; they could call him whatever they wanted, he knew that at the moment they were all right.

"Listen Coach, I'm going to be as honest with you as I possibly can." He took a deep breath and tried to spin his story in the most positive way possible. "Ever since I got out of the hospital my life has been slipping out of control and I can't balance everything anymore like I used to be able to do. Football means a lot to me, but I can't be on the team anymore. I have to focus on myself and my needs and while I know it sounds selfish, it's my decision."

Coach Beiste's lips were pursed together in a tight line when she finally spoke again. The tension was already thick in the air, but right now he felt like he was suffocating on it while he held onto his last tendrils of control. "Hudson, you're a good kid, and there are going to be scouts at this game who would be willing to give you a free-ride wherever you wanted to go." She placed both hands on his shoulders and locked eyes with her quarterback. "You can have a real future, Finn."

He stepped backwards out of her grasp and headed for the locker room doors, apologies written all over his face. "I really hope I can," he whispered as he walked away. He could feel the eyes of every member of the team, glaring at him while he walked out of the locker room with his head down. Making eye contact with Puck on the way out, his friend nodded his head in understanding as Finn left his football career behind him. The season was already half over, and he couldn't risk hurting anyone else before he found the answers to his never-ending questions. Maybe if he was back to normal by the winter, Coach might let him play basketball.

Exiting the school, the whipping October wind created a cacophony of scents for Finn to sift through as fans of the team started to enter school grounds and get ready for the game. He pushed through them all, noticing their stares and hearing them whisper about him not being in uniform. Ignoring them all, he didn't even want to stay for the game as he headed out into the parking lot, wanting to go home so he could suffer in silence for his monumental sacrifice. He loved football, but he couldn't risk revealing himself to anyone else, or potentially hurting someone by accident.

Right before Finn reached his car, he inhaled deeply and noticed a familiar scent wafting in his direction. Turning around, he immediately spotted Rachel all the way across the parking lot, heading towards the football stadium with her left arm linked in Kurt's right one. She was dressed in bright McKinley red, with a number five painted on her face to show her support for him. It was endearing and adorable and _so_ Rachel.

He frowned bitterly when he realized that he didn't deserve her support. He had hurt her, and lied to her, and purposely kept secrets from her even though he knew it was for her protection. If only he knew what the cure was_ right now_, if there even was one; he would do whatever it took to go back to normal, but until then he had to practice his control and focus. Knowing already that this was a mistake, he cupped his hands around his mouth and called out his girlfriend's name, needing to talk to her. Hoping that there was some way she could understand.

"Rachel!" He screamed across the pavement, and her head whipped around in a frenzy until she spotted Finn by his car. Her eyes were as wide as saucers when they made eye contact, and she left Kurt by the main entrance of the stadium as she quickly ran across the parking lot, breathing heavily from the exertion when she finally made it to her boyfriend's side.

"Finn," she breathed, struggling for air. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with the rest of the team?" He breathed in the scent of her and instantly his head was clear of all tension, stress and worry. Her eyes were filled with questions that he knew he had to answer; she deserved to know the truth about his erratic behavior.

"I quit football, Rachel," he said evenly, even though it still pained him to admit it. Her mouth dropped open in shock as the words sunk in.

"Finn, why would you ever quit football? You_ love _football," she emphasized, before a knowing expression dawned on her face. "Finn, what's _happening_ to you?"

"I can explain, Rachel. I want to explain, at least, but I don't know If I can."

"Finn," she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. "You're not making any sense. I thought we trusted each other. Why won't you talk to me?"

"Not here." Finn said, looking around the parking lot at all the people who were surrounding them. Sure, they were all heading for the game, but he couldn't risk anyone overhearing their conversation. "Tonight, I'll come over and we can talk. I promise."

"You also promised you'd never lie to me, Finn, and you've been doing nothing but keep secrets from me all week long. Give me one reason why I should even trust you right now." She was right; he knew deep down that every word she was saying was completely true, and he needed her to give him another chance to explain.

He closed his eyes and tried to use every ounce of control he had to try and make this work. He'd spent the whole night hanging out with Puck, practicing his control skills as he learned to isolate his special abilities. The extra practice had worked because when his eyes opened they were a vibrant, glowing red, but no other changes were taking place. Rachel gasped when she looked into his eyes, and he tried his best to keep his voice steady. "Because I love you, Rachel. I want to tell you the truth, but to be honest, there is so much that I still don't understand." He gently took her by the hand and kissed her on her knuckles, lingering there for a serene moment as he relished in the scent of her skin. "I want to try, though. I don't want to hide from you anymore."

"I'm scared, Finn," she said, and his heart ached when he realized that his worst fears were coming true right in front of his eyes. She shook her head and continued. "I'm scared that I'm going to lose you somehow. I can feel you pulling away from me and I just have a bad feeling that something terrible is going to happen. I've told you multiple times that I do possess some psychic abilities, even though no one believes me." He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as relief washed over him in waves. She wasn't afraid of him, though she had every reason to be. She was scared of losing him, just like he was scared of losing her.

"You won't lose me, Rachel. You'll never lose me." Pulling her in close, he nuzzled his cheek against the top of her head and breathed her blissful scent in like it was the most fragrant perfume in the world. To Finn, it _was_.

"So, tonight? You'll come over and we can talk?" He nodded his head with enthusiasm and smiled for the first time in days.

"I'll be there, Rachel. I promise." He closed the distance between them and his heart sang when their lips finally touched. He breathed in the scent of her and could taste the sweetness of her tongue on his. The kiss was filled with emotion as Rachel latched on to the lapels of the jacket, and the longer they kissed, the quicker he lost control of himself. He broke apart from the kiss faster than he wanted to, and closed his eyes as he fought for control once more. He looked at his girlfriend and she was staring at him with concern etched deeply into her features as they stood in a strange kind of silence; neither person knowing what to say.

"Enjoy the game," he said amicably, wishing he could be on the field with the rest of the team. He pointed at her makeup and smiled. "Thanks for the support."

"Always, Finn." She reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you tonight." With a small smile, she left him alone on the parking lot, and the smell of her lingered on her clothes and brought him comfort as he made the trek back to his house. When he entered his house and came face-to-face with his mother and a furious Burt, he was speechless as Burt's face began to turn cherry red from anger.

"You want to explain to us why you just quit the football team, Finn?" Carole placed her hands on her hips and glared at her son, while Burt continued to fume silently.

_Uh-oh._

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><p>Until next time, Don't Stop Reviewing!<p>

Merci mille fois, mes amis!


	4. I Wish I Was the Moon

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: So far I have this fic planned out to chapter 8 or 9! This should be fun, even if I don't finish it before Halloween.

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><p><strong>Chapter Four: I Wish I Was the Moon<strong>

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><p>The fight had lasted for <em>hours<em>, with much more crying than Finn ever wanted to see coming from his mother ever again. The disappointment that he saw in Burt and Carole's eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life, he was sure of it. They were both seriously shocked that Finn would even consider quitting football; in their eyes it was his one shot out of this town, and Finn didn't need to be reminded of what he'd just sacrificed.

There was yelling, there was fighting. There was a lot of storming off and slamming doors, but Finn somehow managed to remain in control of his physical appearance throughout. He was exhausted from his effort however, and had to squeeze his hands into tight fists to retain some kind of control. When he finally opened his palms, his hands were bleeding from the pressure of his claws on his skin and he hid them quickly from sight.

So much for remaining in control.

"Finn, we're worried about you," his mother pleaded with him for the infinite time. "We don't know what's been happening with you, but we want you to be able to talk to us."

"Mom, please," he begged, just wanting to escape to the comfort of Rachel's house and away from his parent's growing ire. "I told you already, I'm just going through a lot right now and football is getting in the way of my focus."

"Are you hanging out with Puckerman again?" Burt asked, annoyed. He had never forgiven Puck for what he had put Kurt through in the past, even though they were now teammates in glee club. Burt had a long and very extensive memory when it came to his son.

"Well, yeah, but Puck's always been a close friend of mine and he's actually trying to help." He felt the need to defend Puck, even though he didn't do anything wrong. Right now Puck was the only person in his life who knew the whole truth, and he was a valuable confidant at the moment.

Carole was still pacing, her arms wrapped around her midriff tightly as she struggled to cope with the bizarre changes in her beloved son's behavior. "Is it Rachel, Finn? Is something going on between you and Rachel again?"

"No, Mom," he sighed, having heard this question about six times already throughout the argument. "Rachel and I are fine. We've _been_ fine."

"Because she was calling you non-stop the other night when you went on your little sojourn around town and she sounded just as worried as I was."

"I just went for a run!" he said, exasperated. "I _like _to run." That was an understatement. Running was in his blood now; he needed to run like he needed air to breathe. In fact, at the moment all he wanted to do was run; to get outside and feel the wind whipping against his face as his muscles burned with speed. He preferred to be outside these days, and at the moment the walls felt like they were closing in on him.

"Maybe you can join the track team, then?" his mom said, still hopeful that Finn wasn't turning his back on sports. "We can call Coach Beiste now and have her arrange something."

"Why should it matter, Mom? Why can't you just deal with the fact that I'm not on football anymore?"

"Because you had a real chance to make it, Finn! There were supposed to be college scouts at that game today! How do you expect to have a future if you don't provide yourself with the right opportunities?" He cringed openly at the dreaded f-word that had been haunting him all year, even before he had become a slave to his monstrous instincts.

The _future_.

Fuck the future, he didn't even know if he had one anymore.

"I don't give a shit about the future," he said openly and honestly, not caring that he just cursed in front of his parents.

"Hey, you don't talk to your mother that way!" Burt yelled, his face becoming a bright shade of red in his growing anger.

"And you're not my father so you can't tell me what to do!" Finn retorted, his own heart aching at his childish and immature reaction. Burt had been like the father he'd never had; over the past year they had grown so close, and here he was throwing it right back in his face.

"Whoa, what in the name of Whitney Houston is going on here?" Kurt picked that moment to walk into the house, his face still flushed pink from being outside all afternoon in the chilly October wind. His eyes were wide with shock, seeing his family in the middle of such a fight, and he provided the distraction that Finn needed to finish this confrontation and get some fresh air. He was itching to be outside and finally see Rachel; now that Kurt was home, Rachel had to be home as well, and there were some really important things he needed to get off his chest.

Without saying another word, Finn turned on his heel and exited the living room, brushing past his step brother who still looked confused at the drastic events he had walked in on.

"Hey, we're not finished yet!" Burt yelled after him, and he turned on his heel to look back at his furious parents. He heaved a heavy sigh before trying to explain his erratic and uncharacteristic behavior.

"I'm sorry, guys. I'm sorry I disappointed you, and I'm sorry that I haven't been myself lately, but I'm _trying_to fix it, I really am. I just need some space and I promise I'm working on being normal again. I just need to figure out what normal is." He muttered that last part under his breath, knowing that they couldn't hear him nor understand him even if they did. He glanced at Kurt as he passed him by but refused to make eye contact with his step-brother. Kurt was completely oblivious to his problems and he didn't need to be dragged into this; his parents deserved to have one son that turned out well.

Running up the stairs as fast as he could, he collapsed onto his bed after closing the door and locking it, taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Now that he was alone and no one was watching him, he was finally able to relax, and the tight reigns he had over his self-control became lax as his features started to shift in the solitude of his room. Looking in the mirror, the weight of the day seemed too heavy for him to bear anymore as the changes appeared almost instantly, and by the time he grabbed his cell phone off of his dresser, the reflection staring back at him in the mirror was more wolf than boy. He sighed as he dialed Rachel's number, too exhausted to try and reverse the changes as he stared miserably at his reflection in the mirror.

How could he possibly let Rachel see him like this? He knew that he had to tell her the truth; he promised he would tell her tonight and he owed her that much, but one look at him and she would probably run away screaming and never look back. He couldn't risk losing her, not now that they were finally back together and happy. He shook his head and struggled with his decision before he pressed her number on speed dial. The sound of her crisp "Hello?" instantly cleared his head as he tried to keep his voice steady.

"Rachel?" he asked, his palms sweating, his heart racing.

"Finn!" she gasped, "How are you doing? Kurt just texted me and said he walked in on a huge fight between you and your parents."

"Yeah, it was pretty brutal," he looked up at his reflection once more and cringed. "Can we talk? I mean, is it okay if I come over?"

"Of course, Finn! I'll set an extra place at the dinner table and we can talk."

"No!" he said, a little too harshly before lowering his voice and backtracking. He couldn't see Rachel's dads like this; he barely wanted Rachel to see him like this! "I mean, I think I need some time to cool off. I'm going for a run and then I'll stop by."

"But the sun is about to set, Finn. You can't go running in the dark."

He smirked to himself as his eyes started to pulse a blazing red. "I don't think it'll be a problem, babe. I'll be fine."

"Alright, Finn. Be safe," she said, her voice rife with worry.

"I will. I'll see you soon." Hanging up his cell, he looked out of his window at the setting sun and sighed heavily as it started to sink lower and lower on the horizon. Darkness was his only cover now, and when he eventually arrived at Rachel's he didn't know what he was going to do about his appearance. Closing his eyes and taking steady breaths, Finn tried to reverse the changes so he could leave the house looking normal, but opened them only to see their sanguine reflection in the mirror. He'd been so stressed out throughout the day, and had demanded so much control and focus during the fight, that now he couldn't transform back even when he tried all of his tricks.

He threw a hoodie over his head, pulling the straps as tight as possible to hide his face from view as the last rays of light darkened into twilight. Stuffing his hands in his pockets to hide the view of his claws, he went downstairs and walked right past his family who were sitting at the table eating dinner. It smelled amazing, and he was completely famished, but instead of sitting with his mother and step-family he exited the house, not saying a word to anyone as the shame burned inside of him like a wildfire. They didn't ask him where he was going, and for that, he was grateful.

As soon as he was on the street however, he pulled down the hood of his jacket and set off at a sprint, running until the stress of the day had melted away into the landscape that surrounded him. Darkness had settled but his super sensitive eyes picked up everything as he took deep breaths, reveling in the fresh air that pumped steadily into his lungs. Being outside was so _different _now, and he craved the feel of the wind on his face and the smell of the trees in the air instead of staying inside where the oxygen was stale.

His run was peaceful, and he didn't pick up a single trace of another person as the moon started to rise higher and higher in the sky. He stopped for a moment in his travels, to look up at the moon above him, and he was transfixed on the shining orb glowing silently in the sky. It was waxing, and there wasn't a lot of time left before the moon would hang full above him. What would happen then? Would he become the creature that haunted his nightmares; the creature that had turned him into a monster?

He shuddered violently at the thought before turning on his heel and running directly to Rachel's house, hoping he could make her understand.

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><p>He stood outside on her lawn for a very long time, debating whether or not he should even go inside and talk to her. For the past twenty minutes, he'd been trying to focus all of his energy into reversing the changes so he could talk to Rachel like a normal person, but he must have been truly exhausted since he was still staring at the claws on his hands, willing them to go away with no luck. Instead they continued to mock him, and even though he was perfectly calm and relaxed from his run, he still couldn't summon the power to change back.<p>

That was when he smelled it; the salt of tears, wafting out of Rachel's bedroom window and filling her backyard with her sadness. He started to panic; she obviously needed him, but he still looked monstrous and he couldn't risk her seeing him like this. However, when he noticed her bedroom light switch off from his place in her backyard, he realized that his run might have lasted a little bit longer than expected. It was already her bedtime and they hadn't spoken at all. Heaving a deep sigh, Finn realized he had no other choice as he crouched down low on his haunches and jumped onto the tree adjacent to her window, shimmying up the branches like an acrobat and landing on her windowsill. He couldn't go home, and he refused to break another promise to her.

No more lies, no more pretending.

The window was open and he entered it, the room completely dark even though Finn could still see every detail, down to the design on the wallpaper. He breathed in deeply and relished in the scent of the room; her scent permeated everything and he felt calmer as he faced the monumental task ahead of him. He noticed that Rachel was in bed but her eyes immediately flickered open, and he waited for her to start panicking as her eyes landed directly on him.

"Finn? Is that you?" she squinted in the dark, and then gasped. "Your eyes are red again!" She leaned over to turn on the lights and he realized that his glowing red eyes were all that she could see in the darkness of her room. He wanted to keep it that way.

"No!" He whispered, lunging forward and grabbing her hands before it reached the switch. "Please, don't turn on the lights."

"Finn, where have you been?" She hissed angrily, and he could see her pout miserably in the blackness of the room as he held her hands in his. "I've been waiting for four hours!" Four hours? He had seriously lost track of time during his run.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," he rushed, "but I can explain. . . ."

"You've been saying that a lot these days, Finn," she interrupted, "but I still haven't heard a word of explanation from you. You're the one who called me to come over, remember?"

"I know, and I promise that I'm going to tell you everything, but please don't turn on the lights."

"Fine, Finn," she said angrily, pulling her hands from his and crossing her arms over her chest as she sat upright in bed. "Start explaining."

That was when he froze. He had just spent the last four hours running, trying to clear his head and figure out what to say to Rachel, but he still didn't come up with anything that didn't sound completely crazy. She was waiting for a response, and Finn couldn't even string together words properly. He sat next to her on the bed, reaching out for her and placing his palm on her face, careful not to scratch her with his razor sharp claws. Her eyes were dry, but he could still smell the salt in the air.

"You were crying. Before I came over," he said simply, and Rachel's face scrunched up in confusion.

"How did you know that?"

"I can smell the tears on your skin, Rachel; salty and sweet and full of sadness. I can smell the fear you feel when my eyes start to glow red. I can hear people whisper about me from across the football stadium. I can run faster and longer than anyone I've ever known and I don't even break a sweat."

She shook her head, not believing him. "I don't understand, Finn. How could you do all of those things?"

"I was attacked, Rachel. By an animal. On the full moon." He left it at that, not wanting to humiliate himself any further by saying the dreaded word that haunted him on a daily basis.

"Finn, you can't be serious," shaking her head, she pinched the bridge of her nose out of frustration. "You're not making any sense right now."

"I know it sounds crazy, Rachel, but it's true. I hurt you the other day because I still didn't know how to control myself. It's still pretty hard but I'm trying to get better at it."

Nodding her head in silence, she looked deep in thought as she processed what Finn was telling her. After a tense minute when he worried that he would have to show her real, physical proof, she finally spoke once more.

"So are you trying to tell me that you've adopted enhanced canine attributes after being attacked by a lycanthropic being on the full moon?"

"Huh?" he said, completely confused by her choice of big words.

"You're a werewolf?" How she could ask that with a straight face was beyond Finn's comprehension.

"Please don't say that word," he moaned, hating the way it sounded and the implications that followed it. "I _hate_it." She laughed lightly and he felt even worse. "You don't believe me."

"Finn, I'm staring into your glowing red eyes, I don't know what to believe anymore." She pulled the sheets away from her body and he didn't even realize that she was wearing nothing but a flowy pink nightdress, the skirt barely inches away from the bottom of her panties. All of the blood rushed into his head as he took in the perfection in front of him, and how intoxicating her smell was now that it was all concentrated into one room. "Can I turn on the lights now?" She asked simply and he had to stop her from once again trying to reveal his heinous form.

"No!" he said, holding both of her hands in his. "The fight with my parents messed up my focus, I can't change back."

She paused and stared into his pulsing red eyes. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

"Well, I mean, the eyes didn't tip you off?"

"Yes, of course they did, but it's just so hard to believe that you're actually a werewolf."

He sighed. "I know, try living with it." All of a sudden, her small, warm hand came and rested on his clawed one, and she squeezed it softly before trailing her fingertips down each and every one of his fingers. When she arrived at the nails, he saw the inquisitive look shining on her face as she felt the length and sharpness of his claws, pulling her hand back when they accidentally cut her skin.

"Ow!" She hissed sharply as she pulled her hands back and Finn could see the recognition pass over her features before she broke into a beaming smile. "Wow," she breathed, and Finn wondered when her curiosity would become disgust.

However, that didn't seem to happen.

She was fully intrigued with him now, and placed both of her hands on his face, feeling the long hair that accumulated down his neck and sideburns. Staring into his pulsing red eyes, she traced her hand down the length of his cheek to his mouth, and he could smell the trickle of blood on her fingertip as she parted his lips and trailed a finger down his fangs. He pretended to nip it and she let out a playful squeal that made Finn's head swim. Her eyes were shining with happiness and he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

She didn't hate him.

She wasn't afraid of him, either.

"I love you," he breathed, never loving her more than in that one moment. With Rachel, he felt like he belonged; no matter how much of a freak he became, Rachel would always accept him no matter what, and the realization left him bursting with joy. He pulled her into his arms and she melted into his embrace as he held her and stroked her hair. "Please say you still love me," he whispered into the cascade of dark hair that surrounded him, feeling so lost but so safe in Rachel's arms.

"Of course I do, Finn," she said, her hands coming up to rest on the points of his ears. She tucked the longer hair behind them and smiled as bright as the sun. "You're _magic_."

He scoffed bitterly at her words. "I'm a freak."

"No!" She said, and he pulled back to look her in the eyes when he heard the severity in her tone. "I want to tell you something I've never said to anyone before." He nodded, waiting for her to continue while she gathered her thoughts. "When I was a little girl I believed in magic."

"You?" Rachel Berry, one of the most logical people on the planet, believed in magic?

"Of course! I would watch movies like _Beauty and the Beast_ and _Cinderella_ and I would always wish that magic was real, so I could meet all the wonderful creatures that could never exist. I just _knew_ it was real, that's how I convinced myself that I was psychic, so I could be a part of that world too." She sighed, and the nostalgia was thick in her voice. "But after a while my dads stopped letting me watch movies about magic or fantastical creatures. They thought I needed to be 'grounded in reality,' as they put it. In fact, I had to practically beg them to see _Wicked_ when I turned 12." She frowned before maintaining eye contact and continuing. "But you, Finn. You're proof that magic is real, that everything I've ever dreamed of is actually possible. I've never loved you more, and nothing will ever change that." She placed her lips on his in a simple kiss that left him lightheaded and aching for more. "You're not a freak. You are _magic_, Finn."

He could no longer resist himself as he pulled her in for another searing kiss, his lips lingering on hers until her sweetness filled his mouth. She moaned hungrily as he parted his lips with his tongue, and he nipped her lips with his fangs lightly as she gasped at the contact. Her eyes widened in size as he trailed his clawed hands down the sensitive skin on her back, and slipped it under her short nightdress, his palms resting flat on the vast expanses of skin on he back.

"Rachel," he growled as she placed her hands on his face, still unafraid of him and the power he posessed. He could snap her in half with a flick of his wrists; he could tear in into shreds like a hot knife through butter.

"Finn," she mewled with pleasure as he started kneading the skin on her back and waist. She wasn't wearing a bra, and his fingers teased the outlines of her breast as she shuddered in his arms. "More," was her only request and he reciprocated in earnest. He started trailing wet kisses down her face and neck, dragging his fangs along the skin and leaving her gasping for breath. Her nails dug into his skin, and he felt all the blood rush to his cock as he grew hard against her, grinding against her body to create the delicious friction he desired.

"Baby," he groaned as her hand slipped down across the front of his pants, brushing against his erection as his instincts screamed at him to take control. "I want you so bad." His lips moved from her neck down to the valley inbetween her breasts, where her nightgown covered them from view.

"I'm right here, Finn. I'm not going anywhere."

"But I could hurt you," he said, knowing it was true and needing to get it off of his chest. He might love Rachel, but the beast inside of him was aching for sex and he didn't want to unleash it. He couldn't risk hurting her again.

"No you wont," she said with all the conviction in the world. "I trust you."

It was all the reassurance he needed.

He reached for the hem of her nightgown, pulling it up over her head before removing his own shirt and joining her on the bed. Their bodies were meshed together as they continued kissing one another, and Finn placed a hand on her breast, only to pull it away like he'd been burned.

"What is it?" She asked, her face flushed red in the darkness. His hand returned there and traced the pattern of cuts that surrounded the tender skin.

"This is where I hurt you the other day," he said, his voice cracking when he thought of his lack of control. He bent down and placed kisses over her soft flesh, his lips lingering on the cuts there as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry."

"Will I become a werewolf, too?" She asked, her voice carrying a hint of worry. "Since you scratched me?"

"I don't know, Rach. There's a lot that I still don't know about this thing, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way." He was frustrated with the things he still didn't understand, and wished it was Halloween already just so he could get his answers. "I don't even know what the cure is."

Rachel sat upright in bed, shocking Finn with the swift motion. "There's a cure? You can be normal again?"

"I don't know, babe. I'm meeting with someone next week who says they have answers for me. I can't live like this forever. There's a lot of stuff I need to figure out."

"What if there isn't a cure?" She asked, her voice filled with sadness. "What then?"

"I don't know, Rach. I really don't. I don't know if I could have a normal life again if I'm stuck like this." It was a horror he couldn't even imagine as he tried to focus on the present. The smell of sadness hung in the air and tainted their blissful serenity, so he pulled her in close so he could kiss her troubles away. "But until I know for certain, I have to lay low. That's why I quit football, and that's why I've been avoiding everyone."

She grabbed onto his shoulders and squeezed, her tiny nails digging into his skin. "We'll find a cure, Finn. We have to." She traced her fingers over his cheeks once more. "Will you let me see you now?"

Removing the fingers from his face, he kissed them individually before placing his lips on hers. "One day, maybe, but not now. I don't know if I'm ready yet."

"I understand," she said, but he could still see the disappointment on her face as her lips turned out in a pout.

"Hey, no pouting! I can see in the dark, you know." Her eyes brightened instantly at the news.

"Really?"

"Yes," he growled low in his throat, "and I like what I see." She blushed when she realized he was referring to her state of undress and they continued their actions; touching and feeling and kissing and comforting and sharing their love with one another without fear or shame. The rest of their clothes came off slowly, and Finn took his time in teasing her until she was begging for more.

With the moon shining high in the sky, the light bathed the two lovers as Finn entered her, reveling in the feel of her body while the beast inside of him snarled in victory. Their bodies were a rush of motion and sound as they lost themselves in the power of their love; moaning in unison as their bodies stayed connected. _This was where I belong_, he thought to himself as he pumped into Rachel's willing body, her cacophony of bliss filling the air. _Here, with Rachel, the girl I love._

_Mate_, a voice within him said, a voice that was low and gritty and not human. _She is your mate._ It was the voice of the animal inside of him, and he was shocked with how connected he felt to the wolf at that moment while he held onto his control.

He would not lose control. He was more than just an animal.

He held onto Rachel as her moans became sighs, and her sighs became gasps for air as she fell off of the plateau of pleasure and into a blissful orgasm. Seeing the pleasure highlight her face was enough to set him off as well, and as he came he reared his head back and howled at the shining moon that bathed the lovers in it's soft glow.

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><p>Until next time, don't stop reviewing!<p>

Merci mille fois, mes amis!


	5. Halloween

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: Muah ha ha, now the drama can begin!

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><p><strong>Chapter Five: Halloween<strong>

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><p>The next morning greeted him with the warm sun shining on his face, bringing him up from the depths of his blissful contentment as he wrapped his body around the girl who was still lightly snoring next to him. Her chest steadily rose and fell with the rhythm of her breaths and he stared at her with hooded eyes, transfixed with the vision of beauty before him. She was so <em>perfect<em>; she was his solitude, his shelter. She provided him with the comfort and solace he'd so desperately craved and accepted him into her life, into her bed, even though he was a monster.

He didn't deserve her love, yet he craved it more than anything else in the world.

He leaned in closer to her naked body, his own pressing against her as he buried his head in her hair and drowned in the scent of his lover. _My mate_, he thought to himself as her eyes slowly started to flutter open. _The wolf had called her my mate. _It was a weird word, but it was nice. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he kind of liked it. It was probably the wolf's way of saying girlfriend, but Rachel didn't have to know about it. Things were already strange enough.

"Good morning," he whispered as her eyes met his, and all he could see shining in their reflection was the purest love.

"Morning," she said sleepily, punctuating the greeting with a wide yawn. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he said, wrapping his arms around her while she cuddled in as close to his chest as possible. "Much more calm."

"You look normal," she said, tracing her fingers along his upper lip and pulling it up so she could see his regular sized canines. She almost looked disappointed.

"Thank goodness. I can't be a freak show forever." Her face scrunched up in annoyance.

"You're not a freak show, Finn! Stop trying to tear yourself down when you know that you're so much more than that." He shook his head sadly and she pressed on. "You're a _leader_, Finn. you always have been, and you always will be. It's in your blood, and you're so strong and talented and dedicated to the things you love." She smiled softly and he brushed his lips against hers or the sweetest of moments, eliciting a single mewl of pleasure from her as his hands glided down her naked skin.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you," he whispered against her mouth, greedily delving inside of it with his tongue to taste her. When they broke apart, her smile was as bright as the rising sun that bathed the lovers in it's morning glow. "How are _you_ feeling this morning?" He asked her, hoping that he hadn't truly hurt her during their passionate love-making the night before.

Her face scrunched up in confusion for a moment before answering. "I don't know. Kind of different." The hesitance in her voice put him on high alert and he started to panic, shooting up in bed and sniffing her like a wild dog to see if there was anything wrong with her. She smelled completely normal, in fact, she kind of smelled like him, but that was definitely from the events of the night before.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you? Where does it feel weird?"

She slowly sat up in bed, a small bubble of laughter lifting from her lips as she patted his arm reassuringly. "Finn, I'm fine, really!" He didn't believe her. "Calm down, your eyes are tinting red."

He took a deep breath and held onto his control long enough to stop the changes. "Well what did you mean by 'different'? Different how?" He urged, still feeling anxious.

"I don't know," she giggled. "I feel. . .tingly."

"Oh," he exhaled, letting out the breath he had been holding and smirking lasciviously. "Well that's from last night, baby. I still feel tingly too." He could feel all the blood rush down to his groin when the thought about the night before and just how _tingly _they'd been. Maybe she wanted to do it again?

"No, not that kind of tingly. Even though it was amazing, it's not like that." He frowned as his fears returned. "I feel really. . ._connected_. To everything. I feel like the sunlight is jumping off of my skin and the wind is blowing through my veins." She took a deep breath and smiled. "And I can't help but think that you and I shared something truly special last night Finn. I can't explain it, but it's like I can _feel _you," she placed a hand over her chest, directly over her heart. "Right in here."

"Rachel," he breathed, his anxiety melting away as he placed his own hand on his chest. "I'll always be right there, babe. And you're always right _here_."

"You're heart is on the _other_ side of your chest, silly." She smiled, her face glowing with love as he remembered their conversation from long past. It seemed like another lifetime now.

"It's beating really fast." He said, echoing his words from sophomore year.

"Mine is too," she breathed, her pupils dilating, her scent becoming spicy and warm. "We can make love again if you want to." She whispered, and he stared at her naked body hungrily as he closed the distance between them.

"I want to," he said, before pulling her back down on the sheets, and filling her room with the sound of their love.

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><p>October proved to be the most stressful month of Finn's entire life. His parents still weren't talking to him, even though he'd tried to apologize numerous times; they knew he was still hiding something, and even though they were right he still couldn't tell them the truth. It would rip the entire family apart and he would rather have them hold a grudge against him now than hate him for the rest of his life.<p>

Kurt was trying to be supportive, but Finn wouldn't talk to him either, and he had sworn Rachel to secrecy so he couldn't even get his information from her. He was so desperate he even asked Puck, who dismissed him with a scoff and a flip of the middle finger. That riled up Kurt so much he had proclaimed that he no longer cared about his step-brother's hijinks, even though Finn caught Kurt staring at him often with an inquisitive look on his brow.

That wasn't even the worst of his problems, though.

School had become a living _nightmare_. Everyone hated him now for quitting the football team on the day of the big game, and he was being tortured for it relentlessly during every free moment he wasn't in a classroom. He knew he could easily destroy the jocks who were torturing him, but he remained in control every time and accepted their punishments without losing control. He was taking daily slushie showers and the word _LOSER _was etched into the metal off his locker in big, jagged lines. Even when the janitor had painted over it, the outlines of the message was still perfectly clear. His hearing was so sharp he could hear every single word that was whispered about him in the halls and classrooms, even in the scrambled buzz of the cafeteria. Idiot, pussy, loser, fag, douche, loser, asshole, loser, _loser_, _**loser**_.

He might have been a loser, but at least people weren't getting hurt.

At least he had Rachel and the glee club; he had to remind himself about that on a daily basis, when the torture almost became too much to bear. Right now the glee club was the only place he could call his own, and while the members of the group were suspicious of Finn and his erratic behavior, they never gave him a hard time and were still pleasantly amicable. Puck was still the only person to see him in his true form and he wanted to keep it that way. They spent hours together after practice, trying to hone Finn's control so it didn't take so much effort not to change when his emotions were spiraling out of control. It was helping, but he still experienced close calls on a daily basis, especially since the slushie attacks had started. He could crush every single on of those stupid jocks with a flick of his fingers, but he had to ignore his instincts and walk away, when all he wanted to do was fight and tear and seek revenge.

Rachel had been begging him for days to let her see his wolf side and he adamantly refused, still fearing her reaction when she saw just how beastly he had become. She spoke non-stop about helping him find a cure, and while he was grateful that she was so supportive, he couldn't help feeling bad that he was dragging her into his problems. She was a senior, and had to focus on her future in New York, not on her lycanthropic boyfriend with self-control issues. Besides, he didn't even know if there was a cure, and every night the moon became fuller and fuller until he woke up on Halloween morning, already feeling like he was jumping out of his skin.

He dragged himself into the bathroom, took one look in the mirror, and promptly screamed. "What the _fuck?_" He leaned in closer to the mirror and trailed his hands down his face, surprised to see the wolf staring back at him so early in the morning. He was not expecting this. _At all. _His eyes were darker and more red than he had ever seen them, a pulsing blood-red, and his fangs looked even more sharp than they usually were. He looked at his hands and his claws were more like talons, just waiting to rip something apart.

He closed his eyes, steadying his breaths, trying to keep focus, but no matter what he did he couldn't change back. The power of the moon was too strong, and even though it hadn't even risen yet, he was still feeling the affects as he stared at his reflection in horror.

"Finn?" His mother poked her head inside his room and he could hear the worry in her tone. "Are you okay, sweetie."

"I'm fine, Mom, " he said as nicely as possible. His parents had finally started to calm down and he didn't want to do anything else to make them upset. "I'm just having trouble with my costume."

He heard her approaching him and panicked, knowing how hideous he looked, but her gasp was from shock and not fear.

"Oh my goodness, Finn! You look amazing! How long have you been working on that?" It took him a moment to realize that she truly thought his appearance was a costume and let out a strangled sigh.

"Weeks," he muttered bitterly.

"How did you get your eyes to look like that?"

"Contacts," he said through gritted teeth, and when his mom went to feel the points of his ears he ducked away quickly and dashed back into his bedroom. "I have to finish getting dressed, Mom. I kind of need my privacy."

"Alright. You have about 15 minutes." She looked a bit hurt but left the room anyway, and he couldn't help but feel guilty about pushing his mother away like this. She meant so much to him but she would never be able to understand what was happening to him. It was better this way, he was sure of it.

He got dressed hastily, throwing on as many clothes as he could to hide his beastly form from sight. He pulled on his largest hoodie and picked up his sunglasses on his way out of his room to cover his glowing red eyes. Ducking his head at the breakfast table, Finn could feel Kurt and Burt's eyes on him the entire time, even though they didn't say a word to him.

"That's one hell of a costume," Kurt finally said as they walked out to his beloved SUV. They tried to carpool as often as possible to stay "Eco-friendly," as Kurt put it. Today was no exception as he slid into the passenger seat. "I don't know where you got your makeup done but it almost looks real." His step-brother shot him a sideways glance and he avoided eye contact at all costs as he pulled his hoodie up as far as it would go.

"You have no idea." He whispered as they left the house and headed for another day of pure torture.

If only he knew how torturous it would truly be.

* * *

><p>He was barely holding onto his self-control. It wasn't even lunchtime yet and Finn had been on high alert from the second he had stepped into school. Sure, everyone thought he was wearing the most realistic costume ever, and he got a lot of compliments on it, but the effects of the moon were too strong to ignore as he struggled to stay calm throughout the day. There were too many people around; too many scents and noises and the air was hot and stale in his lungs. His hoodie was pulled up, his sunglasses were on, and he hadn't seen Rachel yet so he didn't have to worry about her reaction if she saw his face under the harsh and unforgiving fluorescent lights. He just wanted to run; to escape from this prison and get some fresh air into his lungs.<p>

He exited Spanish in a hurry, wanting to minimize time spent in the hallways so he could avoid contact with anyone. He normally had lunch now with Rachel and the glee club, but today he was planning on eating in the auditorium so he could avoid people and remain unseen. He was about to turn the corner to his locker when he sensed it; the sound of voices whispering and the sickly sweet smell of corn syrup.

"He's coming!" Someone whispered in his periphery.

"Get ready!"

He knew what was coming, but before he could turn around and bolt in the other direction, the entire football team came around the corner he was about to turn, armed with slushies as three linebackers grabbed him by the arms and held him in place. He could fight back if he wanted to, but he didn't want to accidentally kill the entire football team as he anticipated the worst. A stinging, burning cold hit his skin and doused him with freezing blue syrup, dripping down his face and neck and into the warm clothes that covered him. He could feel it in his long hair, the sugary sweet smell overwhelming him as an overwhelming wave of anger exploded from somewhere deep and dark inside of him. He could no longer control himself and snapped, pushing the other players off of him with his immeasurable strength in an instant. The force of the slushies knocked his hood down and his glasses off, but he didn't care as he grabbed the closest person in front of him by the neck and roughly slammed him into the lockers behind them at breakneck speed.

His clawed hand was grasped around the boys throat and he squeezed it, taking a deep breath and reveling in the fear that he smelled in the air. The wolf inside of him was begging to be released so he could exact his revenge; he wanted to rip and tear apart everyone who had tortured him and humiliated him over the past two weeks. Snarling viscously, he saw the shock and fear in the eyes of his victim as he pulled his other clawed hand back, ready to strike and spill blood-

"Finn?" A scent entered his nose then, a scent that instantly brought him from the blackest depths of his soul and snapped him back into control. _No, no no no_, he moaned to himself as the deepest shame crashed over him. Lowering his hand and slowly turning around, he looked down and saw Rachel staring back up at him, her hand covering her mouth with shock when she took in his full appearance.

She knew it wasn't a costume. She had finally seen the monster that he had become.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her eyes wide and full of questions. Realizing what the wolf was just about to do, he loosened the grip on the neck he was holding, (was that Azemio?) and the bulky body dropped to the floor, gasping for air as Finn stared at his hands in disgust.

"Yo, Hudson is a fucking _freak_," he heard someone say behind him, and he saw others nodding their heads in agreement as he started to back away slowly.

_What am I doing? _He asked himself as the wolf growled angrily inside of him, still seeking the thrill of revenge and the taste of blood. It was trying to break free but Finn knew he had to remain in control. _I'm too dangerous, _he decided._ I need to get out of here._ Looking down at Rachel once more, she reached out for him as the other jocks backed away slowly, but he ignored her hand as he turned around and ran away from the disastrous scene.

_She saw me! _He thought to himself in a panic as he ran through the hallways. He couldn't risk her seeing him again. He felt disgusting, tainted, and wrong.

"Finn! Wait!" He turned his head and groaned when he noticed that she was chasing after him. "I want to help you!"

He ignored her as he picked up speed, running out of the school and into the parking lot where he saw Puck standing by his busted old truck. "Puck!" He screamed across the lot and Puck stared at him wide-eyed as he quickly approached.

"Holy shit, dude," he said as Finn leaped into the passenger's seat of the car. "What the fuck happened to you?"

"Get in," he commanded. Rachel was quickly approaching the car, and he had to get away from everyone and return to the woods, where he could meet Warren and finally get some answers. "Tonight's the full moon and I'm losing control. I gotta get out of here and driving is faster than I am."

"Well, any excuse to miss school is fine with me," Smiling, Puck started to pull out of the spot when Rachel suddenly appeared right behind the vehicle, her arms stretched out and her jaw set in a deep grimace. Puck cursed as he slammed on the breaks, stopping short as Rachel glared angrily at them in the reflection of the mirrors.

"You crazy bitch!" Puck roared. "I could have killed you!"

She ignored him and walked around to the passengers window, knocking on it until Puck lowered it. Finn ducked his head away from her so she couldn't see his face, but he could almost _feel_ her anger as her eyes bore holes through his skin with her pleading looks.

"Finn, please talk to me. I can help you." Her voice was pained and he hated having to run and hide from the girl he loved so _damn _much. She held up a small folder, where gold stars and crescent moons were doodled all over the cover. "I've been doing research, Finn. I know if I keep looking we can find some answers. I started reading message boards on this Pagan web site, and they said. . . ."

"Rachel, stop it!" He yelled, scaring both her and Puck with his malicious interruption as he hid his face from view. "Just _stop._ Stop wasting your time trying to help me. No one can help me. No one should even be _near_ me." His voice cracked but he pressed on. "Now step away from the car." He looked at Puck and the message in his voice was clear. "_Drive._"

The squeal of tires echoed in his ear and the smell of burnt rubber lingered in his nose as Puck tore out of the parking lot, leaving Rachel standing there staring after the boys, all alone. An overwhelming feeling of sadness washed over him when she was out of sight, and he could almost feel her pain coursing through his own heart as they drove out of town limits, heading for the woods and the answers that Finn needed to hear

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><p>"Warren!" He yelled into the solitude of the woods around him, receiving no answer besides the sound of the wind through the trees. He had been wandering around for hours, calling out to the man who had promised him answers. Maybe even a cure. The only other werewolf he knew. The sun was becoming dangerously low on the horizon and his anxiety was growing by the minute. Puck had dropped him off hours ago, and he made his friend promise him that he wouldn't come looking for him during the night, no matter what. He reluctantly agreed, and they said goodbye to one another before leaving Finn in his solitude, searching for answers and hoping they were the ones he wanted to hear.<p>

A rush of movement caught his attention as shadows started to emerge from the depths of the forest. There were about ten to fifteen figures, all men, and all smelling just like Warren did. They looked positively wild as they circled around Finn, and he noticed the dirt that streaked their ratty clothes, and the wild, feral looks that shined in their glowing red eyes. They were all in wolf form; half-human, half-wolf hybrids just like him. Warren was the last person to arrive as the sun started to set in the distance.

"Hello, Finn," he said warmly, his eyes a pulsing red as the rest of the wolves circled around him. "Glad you could make it."

"I've waited for almost two weeks, Warren. You promised to answer my questions, now talk."

"Well, what do you want to know, Finn? Or should I just give you the rundown so your brain doesn't have to work too hard," he was sneering and Finn didn't like the condescending tone in his voice. "You're going to turn tonight, Finn. The wolf inside will be set free when the moon reaches it's peak and there's nothing you can do to stop it. You are one of us now." It was like all of his nightmares were coming true all at once as reality started to crash around him.

"But you mentioned a cure!" he screamed, and he felt a painful spasm seize through his body as he doubled over in pain. The light was leaving the sky and slowly becoming darker. The wolf inside of him was begging for release as he tried to stand up. "You promised me!"

"No, I promised that you would feel normal again, and you will." The other men around them started to pull of their filthy clothes and grinned at Finn from afar. "After tonight, you'll join the pack and everything will be better. You'll feel normal, just like I said."

"Join the pack?" He repeated, not understanding the term. "What does that mean?"

"Holy shit, this kid's an idiot," one of them said while the others hollered with laughter. A growl escaped his throat while Warren continued to grin wickedly.

"Wolves run in a pack, Finn. It's how we live; outside in the wild, away from humans and surviving on instinct. You know that's where you belong. You obviously can't stay in your little hometown, where people could get hurt." Warren approached Finn and placed both hands on his shoulders, leveling him with one look. "I'm the alpha of the pack, the leader, and I accept you as our new brother into the pack with open arms." There were cheers around him, and all Finn wanted to do was get as far away from these people as possible. They were smelly, dirty and feral. He didn't want anything to do with these animals, but the sun was setting fast.

"Get the fuck away from me! You people are crazy! I'm not joining any pack." They continued to laugh at his expense and the simmering rage inside of him was starting to boil over.

"No, what's crazy is trying to deny your instincts, Finn. Pretending to be normal, pretending to be human. We're not normal, nor are we human. The wild is where we belong, and now it's where you belong." He struggled to come to grips with the news as the pain steadily grew worse.

"But I have a family. A girlfriend. A_ life_," he said, exasperated. Another spasm of pain shot through his body and the pain was becoming almost unbearable as he struggled to take deep breaths. His vision was a deep, crimson red as the moon started to rise in the sky.

"Not anymore you don't." Warren approached him slowly, his face lighting up into a mocking smile. "And what would this girlfriend say if she could see you right now? On the cusp of transformation, slowly losing control. What would she think then?"

"Leave her out of this!" He snarled, the pain becoming almost too much to bear. "She's my mate!" The words sprung from him without warning and there was complete silence amongst the others as they stared him down.

"A mate, huh?" Warren smirked, circling Finn as the others whispered around him. They were apparently surprised at the news. "I bet you don't even know what that means."

"It means that I love her, and she doesn't have to be involved in this."

"She already is!" Warren said, sounding ecstatic. "The wolf has recognized her as your partner, and she has accepted the wolf. Your souls are bonded together now. She is your mate for _life_."

"For life?" He echoed, not knowing that mate basically meant that Rachel was now his wife.

"And what kind of life could you provide her, Finn? She's not a were; she doesn't belong in our world and you don't belong in hers."

"She belongs with me!" He snarled, not wanting to drag Rachel into his problems as the moon rose higher in the sky. He let out a howl of pain and the other men started to shift as well, even though Warren remained in control. He chuckled at Finn's pain and started to back away from him as Finn fell to his knees, grabbing at his clothes and practically shredding them off of his body with his claws until he was completely naked under the dark night sky. His muscles were burning like acid, and his guts felt like they were churning and shifting inside of him as he started to scream from the pain.

"You'll see, Finn. Tomorrow, when you wake up, you'll realize what you have to do."

Finn wanted to answer him, but when he opened his mouth an inhuman howl was the only noise that Finn could make as the changes began in full. His body felt like it was being ripped apart as his bones started to break and shift, rejoining together in a form that was nothing like a humans. There was a tremendous pressure in his face as his jaw and nose lengthened into a snout, and his human features melted away, transforming into a hairy beast. Tremors of pain racked through him, all the way down to the marrow of his bones as his conscious mind started to cloud. The wolf was taking over, and Finn Hudson was quickly fading away.

_No_, he tried to fight it, he tried desperately to remain in control but the beast was too strong. _No, I'm Finn! Finn Hudson! I'm not a monster, I'm not-_

All rational thought completely stopped the moment that the moon reached it's peak in the night sky. He screamed in agony once more; the sound a strangled growl as the transformation completed underneath the full moon. Where Finn had been standing now stood the massive shadow of a wolf, and as he threw his head back and howled at the full moon above him, the rest of the pack howled with him before running off together into the night.

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><p>Until next time. . . don't stop, reviewing!<p>

Merci mille fois, mes amis!


	6. The Pack

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: This chapter is a doozy so buckle your seat-belts and try not to hate me too much.

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><p><strong>Chapter Six: The Pack<strong>

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><p>He regained consciousness slowly; his mind was completely blank and void of all feeling as he lifted up out of the depths of his unconscious mind. The first thing he could sense was pain; his entire body was shaking with intense tremors and a deep ache had settled into every bone, every muscle.<p>

_It hurts,_ was the first thought he came to mind as his eyelashes started to flutter. _It hurts everywhere._

He struggled to open his eyes against the morning sunlight that filtered in through the dense canopy of the trees. It was still very early, and his sense of smell and hearing came back in a rush of sensation when he shot up from his position on the ground, screaming in agony at the omnipresent pain.

Looking down at himself, he first noticed he was naked, and that dozens of cuts tattooed his skin, spread all over his body, smearing blood all over his flesh. He was filthy and he smelled like shit; no literally, the smell of shit and blood and dirt was everywhere and it almost made him gag as the fresh morning dew started to condense on his skin.

He smelled something else though, something foul and dead, and when he turned around to see what was behind him he immediately screamed, haphazardly crawling away from the large and pungent deer carcass that was lying next to Finn's naked body. The throat and torso were completely ripped out, blood and guts everywhere; it's tongue was lolling out of it's mouth as flies and maggots began to feast on the carcass. He looked into the lifeless eyes in front of him, and the entrails that were splattered on the forest floor created a trail leading directly to him.

Scrambling to his feet, he ran towards the nearest brush and dry heaved to the point of vomiting, spilling the contents of his stomach and closing his eyes so he couldn't see what was coming out of him. It tasted _awful_, and he didn't stop puking until he knew his stomach was completely empty of anything he had eaten the night before.

Finn collapsed onto the forest floor, his arms wrapped around his knees as he broke down into harsh sobs and cried. "I'm an animal," he whispered in the solitude of the forest, his voice cracking. "I'm a fucking _animal."_

He couldn't remember what had happened last night at all; it was like he had woken up from a strange kind of nightmare that he couldn't remember and the pain in his body was his only reminder of the torturous transformation the night before. Well, that and his missing clothes, which he remembered ripping into shreds before he'd shifted into the wolf.

The run home was bound to be interesting.

He wiped away the tears angrily, his head pounding and his future path unclear. What was he going to do now? Now that he knew that his condition was permanent, what kind of life could he possibly live? He could remember his conversation with Warren last night and the offer to join the pack. The wolf was tempted by the offer, but the last thing Finn wanted to do was live out in the wild with these strange men, even though a large part of him felt like he could never go back to his old life. Should he even be allowed near other people, now that he knew the reality of his dreaded curse and it's consequences?

_Mate,_ the wolf inside of him said, but the growl was weak and faint. _Need mate_. The wolf was tired, exhausted from the transformations, and needed comfort just as much as Finn did. His heart ached when he thought of the implications of that word and the effect it would have on Rachel. The desire to see her was almost too much to ignore and all he wanted to do was run right into her arms and never leave. Rachel would know what to do, right? Maybe if he explained the whole 'mate' thing to her, they could figure something out. She always understood him better than anyone and she promised him that she would help.

But what would her reaction be when she realized that they were practically _married _now? They weren't even 18, and Rachel still had her entire life ahead of her. How could Finn possibly hold her back from that? She deserved everything that she had ever worked towards, and he would never forgive himself if she sacrificed her bright and ambitious future just to be with a beast like him.

What was he going to do?

The snap of twigs and the rustling of leaves alerted Finn to someones presence, and his hackles were fully raised when Warren stepped out of the bushes that surrounded the little field he was sitting in, grinning and carrying a bundle of clothes at his side. He threw them at Finn with a flash of his trademark smirk, and Finn noticed a few other guys join them in the clearing. Some were older men in their 30's and 40's, some were college-aged, and some of them looked just plain _mean_.

"Put these on. Next time you'll know to pack an extra set."

"Fuck you," Finn spit, slipping on the pants and sighing when they landed about three inches above the ankle. He didn't even bother with the shirt; it was lumberjack plaid and it smelled _gross._

"Hey, that's no way to address your pack leader," Warren said with a stern tone.

"You're not my pack leader, asshole. You're just a monumental douchebag and a liar."

"I may have bent the truth a little, but I knew it was the only way to get you to come into the forest to transform. What would have happened if you had refused me, huh? What if you had stayed in town last night, went to a house party? People would have been _killed_. Ripped apart. You know it's true."

"I can handle it," Finn said through gritted teeth. "I don't need your help, and I don't need your pack."

A dark look entered Warren's eyes as he stared Finn down. "Yes you do, Finn. You need us and we need you, you can't deny it. The bigger the pack is, the better."

"I'm not joining your fucking pack and there's nothing you could do to change my mind!" He yelled, but he didn't lose control because the wolf was too exhausted from the change. Warren immediately lunged at him, grabbing him by the neck and using his strength to pin him against a large tree. The air slammed out of his lungs as his back connected with the hard trunk, and he struggled for air as Warren began to squeeze his windpipe.

"Oh, I think I know ways to make you change your mind," he grinned as Finn struggled for air, clawing and kicking and trying to break loose with no luck. Warren was _incredibly _strong. "Maybe the pack should stay in Ohio for a while, hang around Lima during the full moon and see what happens?" His heart was racing at the threat and Warren took a deep sniff of Finn's skin before continuing. "Or maybe I can track down your bitch? I wonder if she tastes as good as she smells?"

His eyes turned a blazing red when he recognized the threat and Finn couldn't control his emotions as he snapped, breaking free of Warren's overpowering grip and pushing them both forward until Finn was the one holding _Warren _down. The entire group around them was deadly silent as they watched their struggle for power and Warren stared at Finn from his position on the ground, completely stunned.

"You stay the fuck away from her!" he roared. "_I'll kill you_ _if you touch her!" _The other men rushed up to Finn and had to physically pull him off of Warren as the alpha's face turned beat red from struggling. Finn knew that Warren was strong, but it was a sick kind of victory to know that he had overpowered him, even for a moment, as Warren choked and sputtered for air.

After a tense minute where Finn was being restrained from attacking Warren again, the head werewolf steadied his breathing while he openly glared at his attacker. "You don't have a choice, Finn. I know her scent now, I could track her down from miles away and attack whenever I want."

"Stay away from her," his voice became pleading as he thought about his girlfriend, his _mate_, and her future. He wanted her to have the future that she deserved; to live a long and happy life where all of her dreams came true. Broadway roles and Tony awards and the promise of a family. That could never happen if he stayed with her. Warren and his pack would track her down, track his _family _down, and drag them into his problems even further. He couldn't allow that to happen.

There really was only one choice.

"I'll do anything you want, just stay away from her," he begged, "_please_."

The victorious grin on Warren's face was mocking and cruel, and he stared down Finn while the other men let him loose from their grip. "You have until midday to say goodbye to your friends and family. Bring all the money you have, and enough clothes to last a very long time. No electronics, no memorabilia. We're leaving Ohio tonight."

* * *

><p>He slammed through the front door of his house, grateful that his parents weren't home so they couldn't see how filthy he looked as he ran up to his bedroom, his heart pounding as he struggled with his decisions. Warren's threat was the only thing on his mind as he got up to the second floor, pausing outside of his bedroom door when a familiar, heartbreaking scent entered his nose. It smelled like spring flowers and autumn nights and the sweetest, purest love.<p>

Rachel was here.

He froze before opening the door, knowing that she was here waiting for some kind of explanation about the night before. He almost turned around and walked out of the house altogether, but the urge to see her was too strong as he entered the room, scaring Rachel as she laid down on his bed and waited patiently for him to arrive.

"Finn?" She asked, sitting up on his bed when he entered. "I was so worried about you last night, where have you been?" He shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to answer her. Last night was a living nightmare and the last thing he wanted to do was share the bloody details of his grisly transformation. He quickly walked past her and went to his dresser, pulling out a pair of clothes and ripping off the ones that Warren had given him, not caring that Rachel was right in front of him. He could see the light blush spread over her cheeks when he pulled down his pants but he continued anyway, wanting to get the smelly clothes off and escape Lima as fast as he could. "Finn, what's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?" She said, sounding worried as she took in his mild state of panic.

"You need to leave, Rachel," he said, even though the wolf inside of him was begging to take her into his arms and find the solace they both so desperately needed. Instead, he ignored that instinct and finished dressing himself. He still smelled horrible, but at least he felt relatively normal in his own clothes. "How did you even get in here?"

The pain registered on her features instantly and he felt like the biggest asshole ever. "Kurt let me in this morning before school. I called in and said I had a doctor's appointment."

"Well then get to school. You shouldn't be here." Avoiding eye contact with her, he took his McKinley High duffel bag out of his closet, dumping out it's contents and filling it with as many clothes as he could reach.

"Finn, stop for a minute and talk to me. What are you even doing?"

"I'm packing, Rachel. I'm leaving town," he said, his language as blunt as his tone. He finished his task and went into the top drawer of his bedside table, where he was hiding the money he had been making at Burt's shop since the summer began. Almost $750 dollars was curled into a tight roll and he pocketed it before placing his cell phone on his dresser. He wasn't going to need it anymore; the wild was unequipped to support technology.

"What do you mean, 'you're leaving town'? You're not making any sense." There was a panic in her voice that set him on edge and the wolf inside of him was howling for it's mate.

"Yes I am, Rachel. For the first time in my life, I'm making perfect sense." He finally turned to her, and she looked so desperate; lost and scared and confused but he couldn't comfort her. Not this time. "I'm leaving Lima and I'm never coming back."

"I'm coming with you," was her immediate response. "Wherever you want to go Finn, I'll come too!" He shook his head because there was no way Rachel could survive out in the wilderness, even if she stayed with him in the pack. It was no life for someone so beautiful and talented and ambitious; someone who'd had their entire future planned out since birth. How was he going to make her understand? "Like I said yesterday, I've been learning a lot about Paganism and Wicca, and I think if we do enough research we might be able to find a cure . . ."

"There isn't a cure, Rachel," he spit out through gritted teeth. "It was all a lie."

Her eyes started to fill with tears and she shook her head. "No. There has to be."

"I'm stuck like this, Rachel!" He roared, scaring his mate as the wolf inside whimpered with loss. The smell of her fear was clogged in his nose as all of his worst fears were becoming reality all at once. "You saw me yesterday, you saw what I look like, and that's not even _that bad_ compared to what happened to me last night." He began to force the changes in front of her, manifesting his pain into the transformation so she could truly see the monster he had become. This was the only way he could make her understand. "I'm not human anymore, Rachel. I'm a werewolf. I don't belong here."

"Yes you do!" She said, her voice hard and stern despite the pain he saw shining in her eyes. "You can hide behind the changes all you want but you still have a human heart, and a human mind, and you don't have to live like an animal just because you change under the full moon." She was scared but she approached him with hesitance; despite his glowing red eyes and sharp canines she still wasn't afraid of him. He would have to change that if he really wanted to chase her away.

"_I am an animal, Rachel!_" he roared, and she took a few steps back to put some distance between them. He started to stalk towards her, following her around the room like she was his target. He grabbed her by the upper arms and his claws were digging into her skin, creating a small trickle of blood down her arm. She looked terrified and all of his instincts were telling him to stop but he had to make her _see_. His voice was gritty and low as he held eye contact with her, shaking her slightly like it would help her snap back to reality. "I'm not the boy you once knew. That kid is _dead_. Forget about Finn Hudson and move on with your life. It will be better this way."

"Finn, please don't do this," she begged as the tears fell from her eyes like rivers of pain. "_I love you."_

"You shouldn't!" he yelled, releasing her and pushing her backwards onto the bed. He caught his reflection in the mirror and shuddered. How could she possibly still love him when he looked and acted like a monster? She looked stunned as Finn stalked towards her again. "I'm leaving, Rachel. This is goodbye." Grabbing his bag, he turned around to walk out of the room when Rachel called after him one last time.

"You still love me!" She yelled, and the force of her statement kept him in his place. "I can tell, baby," she cooed, her voice calm, steady and comforting. "I can feel it, Finn. I know you still do, I feel it _right here_. You don't want to leave me." Her hand was over her heart and Finn could feel her love still reverberating in his. It was because she was his mate, he knew that now. "We can be together, Finn. I refuse to give up on you."

He dropped his bag on the floor and stilled, letting her words wash over him as he thought about Warren, the pack, and the threat that made his blood run cold. There was no other way; he had to leave and drive the message home that he was dangerous, a lost cause.

There was only one way to do that.

His eyes were a pulsing blood-red when he turned around and bared his fangs at Rachel in an open snarl while she stared at him from her position on the bed. He crouched low, inching forward as he continued to growl at her with his mouth wide open. _No! Don't hurt mate!_ The wolf inside was yelling at Finn but he ignored it, instead trying to focus all of his heartache and pain into this one attempt at setting Rachel free from their doomed relationship.

"Finn?" She said, a slight tremor of fear entering her voice. "Finn, stop it. I'm not afraid of you."

"_You should be," _he said, his voice sounding inhuman.

"Finn, stop it," Rachel cried, her eyes growing wide when he suddenly jumped on the bed, crouching low as he continued to stalk her like a predator with it's prey. She got off the bed and he instinctively followed her every move as she tried to back up and put as much space as possible in-between them. He reached out a clawed hand and smashed his bedside dresser like it was made of matchsticks, purposely missing her but shattering the wood into thousands of splinters with the force of his strike. She screamed as the splinters rained all over them.

Hysterical, she ran towards his bedroom door but he was faster, crossing the distance of the room in a blur and trapping her inside. "Finn, please, you don't have to do this." The smell of fear and tears and Rachel mixed together set his instincts running wild as he pushed her back into his room. He caught his hideous reflection in the mirror and promptly smashed it, the sound echoing through the room as shards of glass flew everywhere. His hand was bleeding but he ignored it and continued tracking his target.

"Do you get it now, Rachel? Huh?" He roared, pushing her back onto the bed again as she screamed again. He climbed on top of her, trapping her there as she started to panic. The tears were pouring from her face now and she started to fight against him, trying to break loose from the human cage that surrounded her and escape. "Next time when you think of me, remember this," he said, as he held up his bloody clawed hand and snarled. "And one day you'll thank me for setting you free."

Before she said another word he launched himself off of her, wiping the blood on his sheets and ignoring the sobbing behind him. He grabbed his duffel bag, glancing at the destruction he had caused in the room before heading out the door and never looking back. Setting off at a run, he whispered his goodbyes to his old life as he crossed the town border, and he rejoined the pack when the sun was at it's zenith, leaving his old life behind forever.

* * *

><p>No one talked to him. He had been traveling with the pack for weeks and weeks and no one had spoken a single word to him at all. Thirteen other wolves besides him and no one even made eye contact with him. He didn't want them to anyway; they were all dirty wild strangers to Finn, and Warren seemed to be the only person to ever speak to anyone. He would give a command and the pack would follow; no questions asked and definitely no complaints. In fact, Warren was kind of an asshole to <em>everybody<em>, and he often caught him glaring at Finn openly throughout their travels. However, there was no room for arguments; Finn was no longer a leader, just another follower in the pack and went along with everyone else.

All they did was run and hunt and sleep, every single day. Once in a while they would stop by a small town, wash up and fill their stocks on essential supplies. Some of the guys would go off and get laid. Warren would go see the many contacts that he had established, and check up on any essential or interesting news in the werewolf "community". He had no interest in any of those things, so Finn would do the most inane, human things possible, just so he could remember what it felt like to be normal. Shopping in a Wal-Mart, sitting in a park and watching some kids play soccer.

Anything he could to remember what it was like to be human.

He lived like an animal now, sleeping under the stars every night, waiting for the moon to wax and wane and following the rules of the pack. Most of the men preferred to stay in wolf form, even in the cover of the forest, but Finn still maintained his normal features until the moon's power became too strong to resist. They carried around only the most integral supplies; toilet paper, matches, plastic bags so nothing could get wet. Finn learned how to hunt, prepare, and cook his own food, adjusting to the infinite smells of the forest and honing his tracking skills. As autumn became colder the pack moved south and west, away from the winter that never quite seemed to catch up to them.

Every month he transformed into the wolf, but at least he wasn't alone.

He tired not to think about Rachel, but it was moot seeing as he could almost _feel _her with him, even though they were hundreds of miles away from one another. It was like he had two heartbeats now; one for him, and one for her, and no matter how far away they were it was like he could feel her watching him as their hearts beat in tandem. It was the last comfort he had left. Every night he silently prayed that she had moved on with her life, but still held onto the hope that she would always be his.

The weeks turned into months, and the months stretched through seasons. Finn couldn't even remember what it was like to be normal anymore as the pack controlled his daily life, making time stand still as they ran and ran and ran towards nothing and everything all at once. He wondered about his family, about his mate; did Kurt and Rachel ever get into NYADA? How had business been in Burt's shop? Did his parents finally save up enough money for that trip to Aruba that they had been planning?

He would never know. He didn't deserve to know. They were better off without him in their lives.

One night, sometime in early spring, another were from the pack approached him, and when he saw through the rugged appearance he realized that this guy was maybe a few years older than he was, tops. Besides the dirty, smeared clothes he kind of looked like a frat boy, or at least someone Finn could have been friends with in another life. He was almost as tall as Finn and he noticed that the were was in human form, unlike the majority of others who completely embraced the wolf. Sandy brown hair and green eyes, the older boy stared Finn down before finally speaking.

"I'm Nick," the man said, holding out his hand for Finn to shake. He accepted it because he was sick of being ignored and he hadn't spoken a word to anyone in weeks. His voice was hoarse from disuse when he introduced himself.

"Finn." He didn't give his last name, because what was the point anymore?

"So what's it like, dude?" When Finn shrugged his shoulders in confusion, Nick continued. "Having a mate. What's it like?"

The question hit him like a punch in the gut as Finn struggled to find an answer to the question. It hurt too much to think about it and there was still so much he didn't understand. Part of him didn't know how to answer it, so he shrugged in hopes that the guy would get pissed off and leave him alone.

"I don't know, man. What are you a virgin or something?"

An angry look entered Nick's eyes as they flashed red. "Fine, if you want to be a dick about it." Nick turned around to leave and Finn felt incredibly guilty for blowing off the only guy to even ask him his name, so he called him back over.

"Wait," he called, and the older boy reluctantly returned. "I'm sorry, it's just that I try not to think about it too much."

"I get it, dude," perching himself down on a small rock, Finn joined him as the silence stretched out around them. "I'm not a virgin though, if that's what you were thinking. Having a mate is different from just getting laid."

"Nah, I was just being an ass. I actually don't really know how it all works, though. No one told me. I didn't even know what I was doing when it happened but it did, and now we can't be together."

Nick nodded, listening to Finn lament his lost love. "It's not like it happens every day, dude. Most guys would rather be dead than admit what they've become, especially to their girlfriends and shit," he suddenly got very quiet, and Finn was intrigued as Nick continued. "I was 21 when I was attacked. I lived in Pennsylvania and I went to Penn State. I was a political science major with a minor in philosophy." Scoffing lightly at the past he'd lost, he shook his head as he became lost in his nostalgia. "I was walking back to my off-campus dorm after a huge football game when this huge beast came out of nowhere and tore me up good. I don't know how I made it out alive, but I did." He stared into the trees around them, lost in thought. "I was dating this girl named Cassie at the time," he said, shaking his head. "She was beautiful. A head full of curly red hair and a smile that could knock you off of your feet. She was perfect. I thought she could be the one."

"So, why isn't she your mate?"

Nick's eyes were sad when they met Finn's. "I never told her the truth about me. We had sex a few times before I met Warren, but she never knew what had happened to me because I was too scared to tell her. The wolf wouldn't accept her because she didn't know of it's existence, and I left after Warren tracked me down." Finn didn't know what to say, so he kept his mouth firmly shut as Nick continued. It felt good to finally talk to someone again. "That's why mates are so rare, dude. Most guys wouldn't tell their girlfriends or wives about their condition, so most of us just head into town for a quick lay to satisfy our needs. Besides, what kind of girl would still accept a guy even after knowing that they were a werewolf? So a mate. . .," he trailed off, looking towards the horizon that stretched in front of them. "I think Cassie would have been a great mate." Nick was silent after that, and Finn didn't want to ruin this tentative friendship with his stupid mouth, so he waited until some of the tension left Nick's features to ask the question that had been bugging him the whole time.

"No offense, dude, but why are you talking to me? No one here talks to one another."

Nick scoffed before answering. "What's there to say, man? We all know how much it sucks to live like this and no one wants to mention the lives that they left behind. It hurts too much." Finn nodded his head, agreeing with Nick wholeheartedly. "But you're a lot different from the other guys here, Finn. Younger, yeah, but strong. Definitely alpha material."

Shaking his head, Finn disagreed with the older were. "No way, dude. Warren is the alpha, not me."

"You could be, though, if you challenged him. I was there the morning after Halloween; I saw you overpower him and I thought Warren was the strongest wolf around." Nick clapped a hand on his shoulder and gave his best attempt at a smile. "Think about it."

As Nick got up and walked away, Finn smirked as the sun slowly started to sink below the horizon that stretched out for miles. "You know what?" he said to himself, his mind racing at the scandalous idea. "I _will _think about it."

* * *

><p>Until next time, don't stop reviewing!<p>

Merci mille fois mes amis!


	7. Guide Me Home

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: We're heading into the final three chapters! Get ready for some magic to happen. Literally! ;)

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven: Guide Me Home<strong>

* * *

><p>He didn't sleep at all that night. The thought of challenging Warren as the new Alpha was too tempting to ignore as he played out every single scenario in his head and delved deeper and deeper into his fantasies. What would happen if he <em>won<em> against the head wolf? What would the pack be like if Finn were the alpha? Without Warren's threats hanging over his head, maybe he could even go back home one day?

The thought filled him with more hope than he'd dared to feel in a long, long time.

There was another issue that kept him awake into the late hours of the night. The stars were shining above him, practically mocking, as he contemplated that question that Nick had asked him earlier that day. _What was it like having a mate? _How could he even answer that question? What he felt for Rachel was indescribable; he didn't even know enough vocabulary words to describe their relationship and now that they were mates it became infinitely more complicated. But as the sun rose that next morning, highlighting the sky in hues of pink and orange and fiery red, he approached Nick and tried to explain.

"It's like there's a part of me that's missing, you know? Like I don't feel complete anymore. I haven't felt complete since the day I left Ohio. It was like I left part of my heart behind with her." Sighing deeply, he struggled to continue. "I can still feel her sometimes. Her heartbeat; it syncs up to mine. It's the only way I know that I'm never alone. "

"Where is she now?" Nick asked, intrigued by the answer. "Still in Ohio?"

"God, I hope not," he whispered, shuddering at the thought. "She has the most amazing voice you've ever heard in your life. Nothing compares to it, Nick; not TV or Radio or _anything_. She's one in a million. A star." He looked up at the night sky that was brightening into day and watched as the stars started to fade from view. "She was my star." He coughed through the lump in his throat. "Hopefully she's in New York or LA or something like that."

"Do you think you'll ever see her again?" Nick's question immediately evoked the mutinous thoughts that had been plaguing him all night as he dared to dream of a future for him and Rachel. If she would even have him.

"Maybe," he trailed off, looking around the campsite to make sure that no one could hear them. The majority of the men were still asleep and the others had wandered off to complete their own unique morning rituals. "If I challenge Warren and start running the pack I could do whatever I wanted, couldn't I?"

"You're really going to do it?" Nick asked with a mixture of shock and excitement shining in his eyes.

"Well, yeah, I guess. What's there to lose?"

Shooting him a look of confusion, Nick shook his head. "Um, _everything_?" His blunt response confused Finn.

"What do you mean?"

"Dude, when a wolf challenges an alpha, it's a fight to the death. The winner is alpha and the loser is, well, _dead_."

Well, that put a huge kink in his plans. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"No way. Why do you think no one else has challenged him since you got here?" Nick asked, eying Finn warily. "Warren is one of the strongest wolves I've ever seen. No one has ever survived against him once he's been challenged. That's why it was such a shock to see you overpower him, that day last fall. I've seen Warren take down some incredibly strong guys, but you might just be strong enough to beat him."

Struggling with the concept of a fight-to-the-death, Finn shook his head as he thought about Rachel and the hope for a future together. How could he plan on providing for her and supporting her if he was dead? He definitely needed more time to contemplate his options, and possibly start training on the side. If he worked hard enough, maybe he would be ready to take on Warren by the end of the year? Maybe even sooner!

"Do you really think I could do it, Nick? I mean, what would happen to the rest of the pack?"

"Anything you want, dude. You can break up the group and have us go our separate ways, or we could stay united under your command. It's up to you and you alone." Nick clapped a hand on Finn's shoulder and shrugged. "Think about it, Finn. I'll help you train if you want."

"Really?" Finn said, glad that he had a friend and confidant in Nick.

"Of course. We gotta stick together, Finn. Warren can't make us live like this forever. I miss my family. It's been two years for me since I joined the pack and it already feels like the old Nick is dead."

"Yeah," Finn said, agreeing wholeheartedly as the last of the stars disappeared from the bright morning sky. "I know exactly what you mean."

* * *

><p><em>Challenge alpha<em>, Finn struggled to block out the angry, snarling voice deep inside of him as it demanded for attention. He was currently trying to focus on shaving his face inside the tiny, smelly gas station bathroom but it felt good to get the stubble off of his cheeks. The pack was in town for the day, somewhere by the Canadian border in Maine where they had spent the latter half of the summer. There it had stayed cool and crisp as the sweltering summer months slowly dissipated into autumn. The rivers were fully stocked with fresh fish and enough tree cover to run for miles and miles without even being seen. However, they were all dangerously low on supplies, and Warren was off meeting with the many strange people they came across in their travels for important information pertaining to the pack. Nick was off on his own and Finn had promised to meet up with him later.

He looked up at his clean, shaved face in the mirror and sighed miserably. September was quickly turning into October, marking a full year since the attack that had changed his life forever. All summer long Finn and Nick had been training secretly, honing Finn's fighting skills and trying to increase his strength and speed in any way possible. Nick had proven on many occasions to be a valuable friend and asset, and still supported Finn in his decision to challenge Warren, even though the teen still didn't know if he was ready. He could barely believe that almost eleven months to the day had passed him by as he looked up at the stranger in the mirror in front of him. He could barely recognize himself. He looked so damn tired.

_Challenge alpha_, the wolf commanded again and he shook his head wildly against the mutinous thought. He had been contemplating the idea for months now, but he was still too scared to challenge him outright. If he lost he would be killed, and then all of his training and hard work would have been for nothing. No, he had to wait until he had fully reached his potential before he got too far ahead of himself. There was still a long way to go before he was strong enough to battle Warren and win.

He stepped out of the gas station with his McKinley duffel bag at his side, his last souvenir of his old life, squinting at the bright afternoon sun that bathed the small town in an early autumn glow. His thoughts were all tangled between Warren, his training with Nick, the threat of a challenge and the promise of a future with Rachel if his plan actually worked. But if he actually succeeded in this monumental task, what would happen then? How would he ever be able to track Rachel down? She had to be off at college by now and even if she was in New York, it wasn't exactly the smallest city on the planet. Maybe he would have to return to Lima first? The thought of seeing his family again was both terrifying yet exciting as he strolled down the quaint streets of whatever town Warren had dragged them through. It was definitely peaceful but the beauty was lost on Finn as he shuffled along the sidewalk, kicking rocks along the sidewalk in his melancholy.

Heading back towards the town center, an unfamiliar scent filled his nose and brought his attention over to Warren, who he spied exiting a small, nondescript storefront off of the main road. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed with worry, completely lost in thought, and Finn had never seen him look so distracted. Continuing his walk down the road, Warren finally spotted Finn and shot him a seething glare as he barked an order in Finn's direction.

"Meet the pack in the parking lot of the market in 15 minutes. We're heading out of town this afternoon." Finn nodded his agreement solemnly, but didn't follow Warren as he disappeared from sight. Instead, he lingered outside of the store that Warren had just exited, intrigued at the various scents that wafted in the air around the store. He didn't recognize any of them, but they were pungent and fragrant and almost pulled Finn inside with the power he could feel vibrating through the air.

Slowly, hesitantly, he pushed the door open and winced, the smell of the small shop almost punching him in the sinuses with it's intensity. An older woman was standing behind a desk with a very old looking cash register, and smiled politely at Finn as he entered, a knowing look entering her eyes almost immediately.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered, feeling awkward as he noticed the hanging pentagrams along the walls and the various jars surrounding the space that was filled with God-knows-what. "I think I'm in the wrong place." He turned around to leave but when he faced the door, the woman who had just been sitting behind the counter was now standing directly in front of Finn as he jumped backwards from the shock. How did she get there so fast? Not even he was that quick and this woman was no spring chicken.

"No, my dear," the woman smiled softly, her wrinkles bunching up at the corners of her eyes behind thick-rimmed glasses as she kept him standing in place. "You're exactly where you're supposed to be right now." She took him by the arm and pulled him deeper into the shop, his heart still beating erratically from her sudden teleportation. He looked around the small shop in awe as he took in the various herbs, flowers, crystals and statues that adorned the walls and shelves. "You're one of Warren's, aren't you?" she asked, her curly black hair highlighted with wisps of gray.

One of Warren's? It was like he wasn't even his own person anymore; just some kind of property.

"Yeah, I'm with him." He sneezed roughly and the various smells were starting to overpower his sensitive nose and make him dizzy. Her answer startled him as he let out another violent sneeze.

"You're not supposed to be." Her knowing blue eyes were taunting him with answers to questions he didn't even know.

"What?" He asked, starting to feel suspicious of this stranger. "Who are you?"

"I am Sophia," she said sagely. "And I can tell by the massive hole in your aura that your soul is currently incomplete."

Aura? What the hell was an aura? "How do you know all of this?"

"I am a High Priestess, my boy. A daughter of Hecate. A channel that the gods and goddesses use to communicate to the physical world." She peeked up at him over her thick-rimmed glasses. "In other words, a witch." Finn started to panic quietly at the thought of meeting a real-live witch, but the older woman patted him on the arm and started to hobble around her store on achy, stilted legs. "I see strength in you, werewolf. I also see pain and a heavy heart filled with loss. It's clouding your mind and affecting your aura. You must find the missing piece."

He shook his head slowly, her cryptic words confusing him. "I don't understand." Her smile was soft, yet sad, and filled with regret as she looked at a clock hanging on her wall.

"You must leave now, my boy. I am sorry I cannot answer more of your questions. They will all come in time." The lady shuffled over to the nearest shelf and pulled down a small, pink crystal; it's composition cloudy and dull as she laid it flat on his palm. The edges were smooth and polished and he could see his reflection on the surface. "Take this, wolf. It will help guide you home." Exiting through the back office, the woman left Finn alone in her little shop as he pocketed the crystal, turning on his heel and leaving the magic shop with a multitude of questions buzzing in his head.

What did the woman mean by _the missing piece_? Was she really a witch like she'd claimed, or was Warren trying to play a cruel kind of trick on him? It was the only thought on his mind as he entered the small parking lot, standing by Nick and the other men as Warren prepared to give his orders. The alpha cleared his throat as silence fell amongst the group.

"We have an issue that needs to be addressed." A quiet murmur spread throughout the pack and Finn's interest was officially piqued. Warren didn't normally "address" anything; he just commanded orders and expected everyone to follow them. "I've heard word of a coven of witches somewhere on the east coast that's threatening to disrupt the peace of our pack. We don't know exactly where they are right now, but we have to find them and eliminate the threat at any cost."

"Why?" He didn't know what had possessed him to open his mouth and ask that question but it was too late to take it back as every eye in the pack landed directly on Finn. No one was supposed to question Warren's orders, but after his conversation with the older witch he wondered why werewolves would want to track down an entire _coven_, and asked the question without preamble. "I mean, what kind of damage could they do to us?"

"Fucking retard," one of the older wolves growled under his breath as many of the others glared at him. "Witches are _dangerous_, pup. Their magic is powerful, and they can fuck weres up if they wanted to and we can't do shit about it."

"This particular coven has taken a very strong stance against weres, and they're threatening the werewolf community with a spell that could potentially kill us all." Warren stared down each and every one of his wolves, lingering on Finn the longest as his eyes stared right through him. "They want to bind our powers. They plan on stopping the shift."

"What?" Finn asked, both incredulous and ecstatic that such a spell existed. The witches had found a cure! "Isn't that a good thing?"

"No, it's not a good thing, Finn." Nick said, adding himself into the conversation. "We _have_ to change every month; its our curse, yes, but it's also what the wolf needs to do. If we don't let him free, even for that one night, the wolf goes crazy. Makes _us _start to go crazy. It's not pretty."

"I've seen witches perform the spell on a wolf before. Normally they're the kind who are in denial of what they are, or think that there's an easy way out," Warren's voice was dangerously low. "Before the spell was even complete the guy started to claw his own eyes out. The wolf _must_ have release, it's too strong to accept the binding. We can't let those witches perform that spell." He raised his voice to address the rest of the pack. "We start in the smaller towns and villages and work our way up to the cities. I have a few contacts around Salem that might be able to help point us in the right direction. I don't even want to imagine what kind of hell we'll have to go through if this coven is in New York. Fucking city smells like piss and shit all the damn time and it's so loud I can barely think."

"So there _was_ a cure," Finn said, his anger growing as he learned more and more about his own animalistic nature. "You fucking _liar._"

"It's not a cure, asshole. It's a death sentence." The look in Warrens eyes made Finn feel so insignificant he wanted to just disappear. "You're on patrol tonight. We head south first thing in the morning."

* * *

><p>The night sky was a blanket of darkness above him; the waning moon casting an eerie glow of the forest as Finn sat up, keeping watch from his position on the highest branches of the tree that currently sheltered the rest of the pack. It hadn't been difficult to climb up this high, and he liked the solitude and peace it provided him as time passed by achingly slow. He stared out into the nothingness around him but saw everything as his night vision highlighted all the secrets of the forest.<p>

At least tonight he had a distraction; the crystal in his pocket felt strangely heavy, and he kept catching himself grabbing onto it at random times throughout the day; the insignificant weight now feeling like a small boulder in his pocket. For some strange reason the crystal also felt _warm_, and when he took it out of his pocket, he realized that the soft pink hue of the rock was starting to shimmer and glow under the light of the stars.

Looking up at the sky, he noticed a motion that made him pause as he gripped the crystal in his right hand. A shooting star appeared out of nowhere, blazing across the sky as the tail of the comet shimmered the same color of pink as the crystal in his hand. When he opened up his palm the crystal was now a vibrant, glowing pink, and as he stared at it in awe, a scent began to creep through the air that almost knocked him completely out of the tree.

"No. It can't be," he whispered to himself as he jumped down to the lower branches, slowly making his way to the dense forest floor as quietly as possible. At ground level, the scent was even stronger than it had been in the tree, and Finn fell to his knees, clutching the crystal in his hand as endless shooting stars flew overhead.

"Follow the stars, Finn," a voice called out on the wind. A voice that was so familiar and so beautiful that just a whisper of it made him want to cry. "The stars will guide you home."

_"Rachel,"_ he said the name as her scent wrapped around him like a caress. It was her voice he was hearing on the wind, and her scent in the air. How was that even possible?

He started to walk away from the campsite where the other members of the pack were still asleep and completely oblivious to Finn's situation. The stars above him were shooting from north to south and he began to run after them, chasing the stars until he started to sprint into a full run, gripping the crystal in his hand until he felt the jagged rock dig into his skin.

_Mate! _The wolf inside of him hollered in joy. _Mate here!_ It had been almost a full year since he had left her, but her scent would be ingrained in his memory forever as he continued to span the miles throughout the night. But she couldn't possibly be here! He didn't know how to explain it or rationalize it, but his conversation with the little witch earlier that day echoed in his mind as his eyes stayed glued to the shooting stars overhead. No matter how far he ran, the stars never dimmed or disappeared. They were his beacon as he put countless miles in-between him and his pack in a matter of hours. Warren, Nick, all of the other men; they were nothing to Finn as the call of his mate transcended the distance and pulled him closer and closer to her. He didn't know where he was going but he knew that when he stopped, Rachel wouldn't be too far away.

The stars guided him across miles and miles of terrain as he ran faster than he'd ever experienced in his life. The wolf inside of him was just as anxious to be reunited with Rachel, and even though all logic was telling him that her presence here was basically impossible, he could still smell her scent on the wind, and hear her voice echoing through the night, guiding him towards her.

Sunlight started to creep over the horizon in front of him, and Finn could see the endless valleys of upstate New York stretch in front of him as he ran almost directly into the interstate, pausing on the side of the road as a giant tractor trailer whizzed by him at 75 miles per hour. The stars were starting to fade into daylight overhead, and Finn was afraid that his guiding lights would now be extinguished by the sun. Panicking, he pulled the crystal out of his pocket and almost dropped it when he felt how scalding hot it had become. Bouncing it from hand to hand, he watched in awe as it burst into flames, and Finn gave a short holler as the flaming crystal fell from his hands and landed on the grass with a soft thud.

Standing on the side of the road, bordering a busy state thruway, Finn knelt down onto his haunches and stared at the fiery crystal that was now extinguished on the grass. He picked it up and there was an inscription burned into the stone that hadn't been there a moment ago. Finn was seriously spooked by the strange crystal, but read the words and numbers that looked like they had been engraved into the rock.

_186 33rd Street, Brooklyn NY_

Smiling wickedly, he grabbed the crystal that was still hot to the touch and ran off of the thruway, stopping at the nearest town and heading for the closest bus depot. Pulling out his dwindling ration of cash, he stood in line with all the other humans and bought a one-way ticket to New York, gripping onto the crystal and daring to believe in hope for the first time in months.

* * *

><p>His palms were sweating in the back seat of the cab as they made it over the Brooklyn Bridge in mid-day city traffic. He had almost fainted upon arriving in New York just from the sheer odor of the place, so he figured it would be easier to handle a taxi cab instead of the subway due to the loud noises and putrid smells. Sure, he'd been here once before, but back then had been like another lifetime; he'd still had a human nose and ears, and even then the city was still overwhelming to the senses. As soon as he stepped outside Grand Central station he hailed the first taxi to bring him to Brooklyn as the sights of the city whizzed him by. Now that they were on the other side of the water, Finn turned around to take in the beautiful skyline behind him as they sped through the streets of the outer boroughs.<p>

The crystal was still clutched tightly in his hand as the cabbie pulled off of the Gowanus expressway. A sign alerted him that he was in the neighborhood of Sunset Park, and a giant cemetery could be seen in the distance from every road in the area. When the cab driver turned down 33rd street Finn started to panic, and wondered what he was going to find at the address. Was Rachel actually there? Was it all some kind of a trap to see where Finn's loyalties lie? These thoughts and many more were on Finn's mind as the cab slowly stilled to a halt.

"OK kid, that's $25.50." Finn paid for the cab ride with his limited funds and took a deep breath before stepping out of the cab and onto the streets of Brooklyn. It was the middle of the day, but still Finn felt uneasy about the neighborhood as he took a good look around. It didn't look very safe but at the moment Finn didn't care because a certain familiar scent started blowing through the breeze and it reminded Finn why he'd just crossed four states in a single day.

Rachel.

She was definitely, without a doubt, right there inside of the apartment in front of him and all he had to do was go inside.

None of it made sense but he didn't care as he approached the door slowly, not knowing what to do with himself as the wolf inside of him snarled in victory. _Mate! Mate here!_ His hands started to shake violently as he approached the door to the simple apartment, and knocked tentatively as he heard someone inside shuffling towards the door.

"One minute!" A voice called, and it was like hearing bells ringing on a clear day as his heart started to soar at the sound of it. The door started to open and Finn's heart was racing but it didn't matter because the next thing he knew he was looking into Rachel's eyes and that was all that mattered in the entire world.

"Rachel," he breathed, too in awe of the vision in front of him to think of anything else to say.

She didn't speak. She didn't move. Her eyes were wide open with happiness and he watched as she soaked the sight of him in, but something just wasn't right. She wasn't screaming in shock or hitting him in anger, as he stood on her front doorstep after being away for almost a year.

No, instead she crossed her arms over her chest, winked at him, and started to pull him inside of her house without any word of explanation. "You're late," was all that she said to him as the smell of her apartment assaulted his senses. "I was expecting you hours ago."

"Huh?" Was his eloquent reply. Things were happening so fast; when was the last time he was even in a house?

"We don't have much time, Finn. I'll explain everything as soon as I possibly can," her voice was rushed as she left him at the kitchen table. He watched, confused, as she returned to the front door and picked up a simple bundle of flowers tied with twine that was hanging from a hook on the left side of the frame. Closing her eyes, he watched her lips move wordlessly as she placed the flowers on the other side of the door frame. When she opened her eyes once more she grinned at Finn before launching herself into his arms. He was lucky that his reflexes were so good, since he immediately caught her and steadied her as she clung to his clothes.

Now this was the reaction he'd been expecting.

The salty scent of tears quickly filled the room as Rachel tightened her grip around Finn's torso, and her body started to shake with sobs as he tried his best to comfort her. He kissed the top of her head and reveled in the scent of her skin. At least he knew she wasn't mad at him, but he had so many questions for her that he didn't know how to begin asking them. How did he even get to this point? Last night he had been chasing shooting stars and today he was throwing away all logic to follow a magic burning crystal. These kinds of things normally didn't happen to him and he was a _werewolf_.

"Rachel," he exhaled, and just the sound of her name on his lips was as beautiful as he'd remembered it. "What is going on? How did you know I was coming?" When she didn't answer him he took a second to look around at her new home and wondered how he hadn't noticed her decorations before. Normally a Rachel Berry room would look like a mix between a community playhouse and a Kids R Us. Right now her apartment was filled with statues, candles, symbols, rocks, crystals and various pungent herbs. There were books scattered _everywhere_, in symbols he couldn't even read, and in the center of the room there was an alter filled with chalices and knives and a small, smooth pink crystal that looked _terribly_ familiar.

"I told you I would find a way, Finn," she said, looking up at him from the safety of his arms. "I never gave up on you, not even for a minute. I kept my promise."

"Rachel, baby, please talk to me. What have you been doing here?" He begged for an answer. Everything was so out of control.

"A long time ago, I once said that you were magic," she grinned, her smile practically lighting up the room as she placed her hand over his heart. "Now I'm magic too." Pulling away from him, she walked over to the closest candle and licked the tips of her thumb and pointer finger. Grinning wickedly, she placed her wet fingertips on the wick of the candle and a flame immediately appeared out of nowhere, without any need for matches or a lighter. "I'm a witch now, Finn, and I'm going to make everything better again," smiling serenely, she placed both hands on the sides of his face and kissed him deeply, as his pounding heart started to sink deep into his chest. "I finally found you a cure."

* * *

><p>Until next time, Don't Stop Reviewing!<p>

Merci mille fois, mes amis!


	8. Magickal

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: Time for a bit of Rachel's perspective!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight: Magickal<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Five Months Earlier: Lima, Ohio<em>

She was a bad Jew. No, strike that, she was the worst Jew _ever_. What would Barbra, her Jewish _idol_, say if she saw Rachel in her little pastel colored room, surrounded by candles and crystals and about to attempt spell-casting for the first time ever? She would be kicked out of temple forever if her Rabbi could see her now! She was going against everything her faith had raised her to believe in, and she almost felt out of place in her own room as she looked at the makeshift alter she had set up on her floor; a long dagger and a gold chalice placed in front of her as she burned sage for purification.

Rachel had been struggling for months with her decision to try witchcraft, and she found herself quickly running out of options. Finn had been gone for so long that she was getting desperate as her senior year was quickly coming to a close. All year long she had thrown herself into her studies and the glee club in order to ignore the undeniable truth that Finn was gone, and now that she had been accepted to NYADA, what else did she have to look forward to? Every day was another struggle as she tried to keep her promise and help him find a cure.

It hadn't been easy. She had been researching witchcraft and magic for months but every website, forum and book she'd read had all demanded that the practitioner convert themselves fully to Wicca before the witch could have any power. She had been struggling with the decision to abandon her faith ever since, hoping against hope that Finn would just come home so she didn't have to rely on such drastic measures.

That never happened, though. Finn never came home and her determination to find him only grew stronger as the months transcended seasons. She knew she had to find him; at night she would listen to their hearts beating in tandem and she often spent the nights of the full moon crying alone in bed, listening to the sound of his pounding heart as she thought about the transformations. Those where the nights she wanted him back the most.

So after months of internal debate and an enormous crisis of faith, Rachel went to the nearest magick store a few towns away and bought the supplies she needed to cast a simple protection spell. She felt incredibly foolish, sitting all alone on her bedroom floor intending to cast a spell, but she had to believe it was real in order to make it work.

She read over the instructions she had printed out for the millionth time as she made sure she had all the supplies she needed. First, she lit the candles on her altar, going counterclockwise as the sage began to smolder. "I summon thee, gods and goddesses of the moon. I, Rachel Berry, am now a servant of your power." Closing her eyes, she picked up the dagger and placed it to her left palm, piercing the skin and drawing blood as the pungent odor of sage clouded the room, dimming the already low lights. "I offer you a piece of myself and in return I ask only for the power to find my boyfriend and protect him from all harm." She held her hand over the chalice and let the blood drip into the cup. After letting four drops fall, she poured in a small bit of red wine that she had stolen from her dads and drank the concoction, wincing as the alcohol burned her throat.

"Protect Finn Hudson, my gods and goddesses. Shine your light on him, and help him find his way home one day," she called with her arms held out, her voice strong and commanding as the four candles in front of her flickered with light.

Nothing happened.

Dropping her hands in a huff, she let out a huge sigh as she rubbed her temples, feeling like an idiot for even attempting this ridiculous little stunt. Finn was proof that magic existed, but she didn't have any real power. She was just fooling herself.

All of a sudden, a strong gust of air came out of nowhere, blowing out the candles on the altar as Rachel jumped in surprise. She looked over at her window and it was locked tight along with her door; that gust of air definitely wasn't the wind. In a flash of light the candles re-lit themselves, and Rachel was left staring at her altar in shock as the scent of sage slowly started to dissipate from the room.

A wide grin erupted on her face as the flame of the candles hypnotized her into serenity.

She had a lot of work to do.

* * *

><p>"I started out small," she explained, "Protection spells, location spells, glamours. I made Quinn Fabray believe that she had spiders in her hair all afternoon, once. That was a really fun day." She giggled to herself and Finn was still in awe of the girl in front of him. "When you entered the house I sealed the entrance with a barrier spell so no one can get in uninvited or track you here." Sitting at her small dining room table that was cluttered with candles and crystals and herbs, he tried to wrap his mind around the idea that his girlfriend, his mate, was now a practicing witch. And she had done it all just to find him.<p>

"How would they know I was here?"

"Your aura, silly. As a werewolf, your aura is very powerful, and witches and other magic beings can sense it from really far away."

"What's an aura?" He'd been hearing that word a lot lately.

"It's your energy, Finn. The magical interpretation of your soul. Yours is very strong." He still didn't understand completely but he pressed on.

"So how did you find me?" He had to know. It was driving him crazy.

"I cast a location spell and saw that you were by the Canadian border. I contacted some witches I knew in the area and asked them for help. Sophia is a powerful witch and thankfully for us, a hopeless romantic. She summoned you to the shop and gave you the matching crystal that I have here. Then I cast the spell to help guide you to Brooklyn." It was almost too much information to take in as Finn struggled with the concept of Rachel as a witch.

"What else can you do?" She smiled slyly as she made them an herbal tea that smelled quite _interesting. _

"A lot of things," she placed the hot mug of tea in front of him and he hesitated before drinking it because of the unfamiliar smell. "I like working with herbs and crystals and making fun stuff happen. I still need to collect a few items before I can cast the spell for you, so we'll have to go shopping."

He froze as the scalding hot tea hit his tongue and he started to sputter as it burned him. "Rachel, we need to talk about this spell of yours."

"What about it?" She asked, the picture of innocence as she stared at the clock on the wall. He ignored the flash of worry in her eyes as he tried to break it to her easy.

"You can't cast it," her eyes narrowed into slits of confusion as she whipped her head around to face him.

"What do you mean, 'I can't cast it'? I've been searching for this spell for over a year. I found a coven that's willing to do it with me. I'm trying to help you!"

He sighed deeply before trying to explain. "You don't understand, Rach. I would give anything in the world to be normal again. _Anything_. But this spell is not a cure for werewolves. It's a death sentence."

"How?," she asked, her spirits falling faster than the stars she had sent to guide him back to her. He tried his best to explain what Warren and the others had told him; about the power of the wolf and how he must be set free. The more he explained the sadder she became as all the enthusiasm left her like a deflated balloon.

"You're really sure about this? They weren't lying to you again?"

"No, Rachel. And even if they were, why would you want to risk it?"

"Because I want you back, Finn! I want you to stay with me so we can be together again. I've missed you so, so much." He watched as she crumpled in on herself, crying and fighting against the emotion as he pulled her into his arms once more. "Please don't leave me again, Finn. _Please_."

He knew he couldn't promise her that. He had left the pack against orders and he knew there would be repercussions but he couldn't just watch her suffer. "I'm here now, Rachel. That's all that matters."

After a few moments of consolation, her mood started to pick up again. "Well, personally, I can't wait to wave you in Kurt's face as proof that my immeasurable talents transcend music and theater."

"Wait a minute," he said, pulling from her embrace as he thought about his step-brother. "Kurt lives here?" he asked, incredulous as he looked round the room at all the dark and magickal decorations that were cluttered around the apartment. This did not seem like a place where Kurt would feel comfortable.

"No way," she said, laughing. "He still lives in the dorms. I refused to live there because of the smoke detectors in the rooms; I can't burn my sage or incense or candles there, so I got my money refunded to me and moved out here." Her eyes were shining with ambition. "I like to think of it as another kind of metaphor. I'm in New York but I haven't quite made it to Manhattan yet! It gives me drive and focus."

"Wait, you live here alone?" He panicked at the thought of Rachel in this neighborhood without protection.

"Well, yeah," she said sheepishly, tucking some hair behind her ear. "It's not that bad; I have a bunch of protection and barrier spells set up and Kurt comes here over the weekends so I'm not lonely." She looked at the clock once more and Finn wondered why she seemed so rushed. "Which is why we're running out of time. He's going to be here any minute." Her eyes met his and he could hear the worry in her tone. "And he's definitely not expecting you."

"Should I be concerned?" Nodding her head slowly, she winced as the doorbell rang.

"It's him," she said. "Just try to be as nice as possible. I tried to tell him the truth about you but he never believed me."

"You mean he still doesn't know?" Sighing deeply, she walked over to the front door and allowed Kurt in, and Finn watched as his step-brother entered the small apartment with a scathing look of disgust on his features as he took in the state of the living room.

"Honestly, Rachel, if you insist on living like Morticia Addams at least let me try to accessorize the space and . . ." he saw Finn standing in the kitchen and froze in place. ". . .balance out the macabre," he finished slowly, his eyes never leaving Finn's as he stared him down in the middle of the apartment.

When was the last time Finn had felt so awkward? He couldn't even remember as he stood face-to-face with the step-brother he hadn't seen in almost a year. He hadn't even said goodbye to him before he'd left town all those months ago, so he knew that Kurt had every right to be angry.

"Hey Kurt," he managed to spit out, but his brother looked furious as he took in Finn's rugged state of dress and the seconds stretched out like eons. Kurt was glaring at Finn with something akin to hatred in his eyes and Finn wondered if he should just leave.

"Finn," he said, finally breaking the strained silence that stretched out between them. "Where the hell have you been?" He sounded calm. _Too calm._

"It's kind of a long story, Kurt."

"Oh, I have time," he said, dropping his bags of vegan snacks on the floor and crossing his hands over his chest. "I can't wait to hear this crock of bullsh-."

"Kurt, be nice! He's your brother!" Rachel scolded, interrupting him as she stood by Finn's side in the kitchen. He held onto her hand and squeezed softly, thankful for the support.

"No!" Kurt screamed, stunning Finn and Rachel into silence. "He's not my brother anymore. My brother wouldn't have trashed his bedroom and left town without saying goodbye. My brother wouldn't have put his mother through the torture that I've had to witness over the past year. My brother wouldn't have given up on his responsibilities in a fit of reckless abandon." He wanted to deny it all, but Kurt was pretty much right, and it stung to know just how much his family had been hurt by his actions. "The Finn Hudson I knew would never have done any of those things. I don't know why you came back but if it was to apologize you can save it and shove it up your. . . "

"I'm a werewolf, Kurt."

His mouth open and closed like a fish out of water as Finn's confession sunk in. Well, that shut him up quick. "Do you actually think this is _funny_? Some kind of a joke? Your girlfriend turned into _Sabrina the Teenage Witch_ when you left and started spewing the same garbage but I don't have to hear it from you too."

"She wasn't lying," he said, and slowly started to transform in front of him, in order to make him see that this was real. "And I'm not lying either."

His hair lengthened around the sides of his face as the changes continued, his eyes glowing red as his canines peeked out from under his upper lip. He held up his hands, now adorned with razor sharp claws as all the blood drained out of Kurt's face. He looked like he was going to faint.

_"__Sweet Charity," _he muttered under his breath as Rachel clapped in victory.

"See Kurt! I told you I wasn't suffering from hallucinations and intense delusions of grandeur! My magick summoned him and brought him home." Finn nodded in agreement and Kurt started to fan himself lightly.

"I think I need to sit down," Finn automatically reached out for his step-brother, steadying him and leading him over to one of Rachel's chairs as he started to take deep calming breaths.

"It's okay, Kurt. I had a hard time handling it myself."

"But why did you have to leave? If Rachel knew the truth-"

"Puck knew it too," Rachel added and Kurt stared at his brother in horror.

"You trusted that Cro-Magnon with your secret and you couldn't even tell your brother? Quelle horreur!"

"I was threatened Kurt," Rachel turned to face him in shock; he hadn't even had the chance to explain this part to her yet, so she was just as stunned as Kurt was. "I was approached by a pack of other werewolves and they threatened to hurt you if I didn't join them. _Both of you,_" he added, facing Rachel and stroking her hand. "Our parents and our friends, as well. I couldn't allow that to happen so I had to leave. It was the only way I knew how to protect everyone."

"Oh Finn," Rachel sobbed, tears gathering in her eyes. "Your chivalry knows no bounds."

"Have you spoken to our parents yet?" Kurt asked bluntly, ignoring the look of hero worship on Rachel's face.

"No," he said solemnly, his stomach churning at the thought. "I'll cross that bridge when the time comes." He avoided eye contact with Rachel as he shook his head. "I don't know how much time I have here before I have to leave again."

"What are you talking about, Finn?" Asked Rachel, her voice filled with panic. "I cast that spell to bring you home."

"I know that Rachel, but I can't come home yet. I'm part of a pack. They're going to come looking for me and it's dangerous for me to be anywhere near you." He steadied his breathing and tried to face the inevitable. "I have to go back."

"No!" Rachel said, a burning fire lit behind her eyes. "You can't!"

"Rachel, they're already looking for you! They know about the spell and they're on their way down the east coast to track down the coven of witches who are planning it. You have to lay low for a while, especially with the magic, or else I won't be able to protect you."

"I can't believe this is all real," breathed Kurt.

"Well, believe it," Finn said firmly. "I gave up everything to protect you guys, and I refuse to involve you in werewolf affairs now, after everything I've done to try and keep you safe."

"Well, it's too late for that, Finn!" Now Rachel was the one who was angry as she stomped her foot in frustration. "You dragged me into werewolf affairs the day you made me your mate!"

It was Finn's turn to be shocked. He'd never told her about the mating; how did she know? "What did you just say?"

"I did my research, Finn. I recognized the signs; the incomplete aura, the shared heartbeats. I accepted you as a werewolf before you left and the wolf accepted me too. We're mates now, and you don't even realize how special that makes you."

"I don't understand," came matching replies from both Finn and Kurt. Rachel sighed dramatically before elaborating.

"Do you realize how _rare_ mates are?" she exclaimed. "In a pack, the strongest wolf is always the mated one. It's just like survival of the fittest. The strongest, most capable wolf gets the mate and is named alpha."

"I feel like I'm listening to a National Geographic special," Kurt said dryly. Rachel ignored him and continued while Finn's mind kept racing.

"If you were to challenge your pack leader for alpha, Finn, you would_ win_. I know it, and I think deep down you know it too."

"He's always hated me," Finn said, referring to Warren as the pieces started to click into place. "I would catch him glaring at me all the time. It's because he knew how strong I was. He kept this information from me on purpose so I would never know that I posed an actual threat."

"And for good reason," Kurt agreed. "I wouldn't want someone to challenge me for my power either."

"Once you're pack leader, you can dictate the laws of the pack. You can ask them to stay in New York. You can have them disband altogether." Her voice dropped in volume as he eyes shined with hope. "We can finally be together again, Finn. We can have a fresh start."

"But," he trailed off, not knowing how to explain the affect that Manhattan had on his sensitive nose. "New York is too much for my senses to handle. Even here inside of the apartment I can still smell the pollution in the air and hear the noise on the street. I don't know if I could even live here comfortably."

"I can help you with that!" Rachel left Finn's side to search through her altar for a simple rawhide necklace, with a blood red stone sitting in the center of a silver amulet. "Here, put this on. I cast a spell on it that will dull your senses so the city atmosphere isn't so overwhelming." He placed the amulet over his head and in an instant his super hearing and smell was reduced to human levels.

"Well, at least your creepy magic can do something productive," Kurt quipped.

"Hey," Rachel protested. "My creepy magic brought Finn back, and I don't appreciate your judgment of my new religion. . ." She looked like she wanted to say more, but she stopped mid-thought and stared at the front door. "Someone is coming," she said, her voice deadly serious. "Someone very strong."

He ripped the necklace off of his neck and took a deep breath, smelling the scent of his pack leader as he approached the house. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he struggled with his options and whether or not they should try and outrun him. How did Warren even find him?

He didn't have the chance to make a decision, because without warning the front door burst open, and a strong gust of wind entered the house as Finn pushed both Rachel and Kurt behind him for protection. He snarled openly at Warren as he stood in the entrance of the apartment, and the pack leader took one step forward before an invisible barrier held him back from entering. Finn watched him struggle in awe while Rachel smiled smugly behind him.

"What the fuck is this?" Warren yelled, pounding against the barrier yet unable to enter.

"It's called a barrier spell, you incompetent moron. You are unwelcome here."

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face, sugar." Warren winked at Rachel and the simple action filled Finn with a blinding rage that he could barely control. "Is this the girl, Finn? You never told me that she was a witch! She smells almost as good as she looks."

"You stay the fuck away from my mate, Warren. She has nothing to do with us."

"Oh, I beg to differ!" he laughed victoriously. "I found out that she's the head of the coven that wants us all dead! How do you think I found you so fast? She's not the only witch who can do a location spell, and now I get to kill her for threatening us and kill you for betraying the pack!" He tried to step through the door-frame once more but the power of Rachel's spell held him in place.

"We're not performing the spell anymore," Rachel stepped forward, defiant and proud. "But if you pose a threat to me or anyone I love, I _will_ retaliate."

"This is the douche that threatened you?" Kurt asked him in a whisper. "No wonder you left town so fast."

"It's too late, witch. I'll spare you because I'm feeling generous and your coven promised not to perform the spell. But Finn must pay for his betrayal to the pack with his blood."

Instead of answering Warren, Finn watched as Rachel raised her hands to her sides, closing her eyes as her lips started to move. Her hands started to glow with a bright pink light and when she opened her eyes the irises held a bright pink glow as well. Kurt hollered, stepping away from her as Finn stared at her in awe. He had no idea that she was so powerful. "His name is Warren, right Finn? Spells work better when you know the person's name."

"No!" The wolf said, and Finn rejoiced when he recognized the panic in his tone. "Don't tell her my name! That's an order!"

"I refuse to follow your orders anymore, Warren Rodgers." Finn commanded, his voice coming out as an inhuman snarl as his eyes blazed a violent red. "I no longer recognize you as my pack leader. The next time we meet, I'm challenging you for the alpha position."

The rage was resonating off of Warren in waves. "You dare to challenge me? Step on the other side of this door and say it to my face like a man."

"I don't have to, the challenge is on. Rachel, do your worst." He stepped back and allowed Rachel and her funky glowing hands the opportunity to show off. She clapped them together, smiling as she reached out towards the door frame.

"To the gods and goddesses of light that shine upon me, your faithful servant, I banish the wolf known as Warren Rodgers from this neighborhood. You are no longer welcome in Sunset Park, and your pack is forbidden from crossing into Brooklyn."

"You can't do this!" Warren yelled, even though it looked like he was being pushed back by an invisible force as he winced and shouted. Finn stared at Warren with horror as he noticed bright red marks appear on his face and arms, oozing and burning the skin. "I want my fight! I'll be waiting for you, Finn! The challenge is on!" With a flick of her wrist, the front door slammed in his face and Kurt and Finn watched from the windows as Warren started running down the street like he was being chased, heading out of sight without another word of protest.

"Rachel, what did you do to him?" Finn asked, incredulous at her show of power.

"I banished them from Brooklyn. If they even step foot into this borough they'll start breaking out into welts and blisters." She grinned wickedly. "Painful, itchy, _oozing_ welts and blisters."

Kurt looked horrified. "Girl, you are vicious!"

"Well, no one threatens my mate and gets away with it!" She said, joining Finn's side as he reached down to place a grateful kiss on her willing lips.

"My thoughts exactly."

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><p>Kurt had stayed over for dinner, and Finn had spent the majority of the evening talking things through with him so there were no hard feelings left between the brothers. Things were hard enough for Finn knowing that his parents had suffered through so much in his absence, he at least wanted Kurt to be on his side for the extra support.<p>

Kurt declined the invitation to stay for the night, however, noting that Rachel and Finn would probably want the time to_ reconnect_. Finn was grateful, since it had been almost a year since he'd been intimate with anything that wasn't his own hand. Rachel created a pin that was laced with a protection spell for Kurt to wear on his jacket to prevent any attacks as he made his way back to Manhattan.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing that Finn said to her when they were finally alone.

"For what, Finn?" She said softly. "For protecting us? For trying to deal with issues that no one else could understand?"

"For hurting you," he said, pulling up her sleeves and finding the scars that he had left on her skin from that fateful morning last year. "For trying to scare you away."

"I forgave you a long time ago for that."

"Well I haven't," he said emphatically. "It still haunts me, Rachel. The look of fear in your eyes, the sound of you screaming." He took her in his arms and for the first time in months he finally felt complete again.

_You must find the missing piec_e, the old woman's voice rang in his head and her statement finally made sense to him as he held her as close as their bodies would allow. _Rachel _had been the missing piece. Now that they were back together, they were stronger than ever before.

"Before now, I didn't challenge Warren because I didn't think I was strong enough," he said softly, whispering into her hair. "But now I know I can take him, Rachel. I can win."

"You will win, Finn. I know it." She placed his lips on his in a blissful kiss and his head was swimming with emotion as she led him towards the bedroom. "Come now, let's go to bed." When they entered her bedroom it was like he was back with the old Rachel again; her sheets were a soft, creamy pink and her framed playbills still lined the walls. The large bed was springy to the touch and Finn almost felt uneasy climbing on it.

"I haven't slept on a bed in a long time," he said simply as she stared to slip the clothes off of her body.

"Well, we're not going to sleep just yet," winking, she crawled forward on the bed and captured his lips in hers. Sighing against her mouth, he touched her silky skin as his body grew hot and taut with need.

"I missed you so much," he breathed her in, tasting her tongue on his lips and reveling in the essence that was purely her. He wanted more. How could he have lived so long without her in his life? "You were the only thing that kept me sane. That kept me human," he admitted quietly, never having the chance to voice his fears out loud before. "I thought I was losing myself but all I had to do was close my eyes and listen to our hearts beating together."

She kissed him softly but her eyes held a certain sadness in them. "You should have told me that I was your mate, Finn. It's not something that I should have learned from a website."

"I barely understood it myself, Rachel. You probably still know more about it than I do."

She shook her head and reached for his shirt, lifting it over his head and trailing her hands down the length of his chest. "It doesn't matter now. We're together again and there's nothing Warren can do about it."

"Yes there is, Rachel," he had been hesitant in admitting the truth about the challenge, but he couldn't keep things from her anymore. It wasn't fair to either of them. "The challenge is a fight to the death. If I lose. . ." he trailed off, not wanting to think of the grisly scenario.

"You won't lose, Finn," she said, her voice filled with conviction and strength. "You're stronger than Warren is. I know it, and he knows it too." Kissing him once more, she lowered her hands to his pants and she undid the button while he reached forward and cupped her breasts in his hands. Her sharp intake of breath was like music to his ears as her moans and sighs started to fill the room.

They touched each other like that for a long time; slowly, patiently, taking their time to rediscover the other as a blissful cacophony of noise wrapped around the two lovers like a caress. After almost a year of dealing with the changes, Finn was more than capable of controlling his physical appearance, even though his eyes did flash red when the pleasure became too intense. He could feel the magic flowing in the air as he brought Rachel up into the heights of ecstasy, using his fingers to create a torturous buildup while he denied his own release.

"Come for me, baby," he cooed, and for a moment he could see a halo of the brightest, purest light surround her as it pulsed to the beat of their hearts. It was her aura, he was sure of it, and he had never seen anything so beautiful before in his life as her cries became more frantic and rushed.

"Finn!" She called his name out like a prayer as she unraveled in front of him and he soaked in the sight of her pleasure while the wolf inside of him howled in victory. He pulled his fingers from her; the musky scent filling the room and making his already throbbing cock ache even more as she reached over to try and stroke him.

"No," he said gently, even though he felt like he was going to explode as he moved her hand away from him. "Tonight is all about you." Finn had never been good with words, and nothing in his vocabulary could even express the love he had for his mate at that moment, but there were other ways to express his gratitude. She had never given up on him; she'd accepted him from the start and supported his decisions even when she was the one who had to suffer for it. He was going to repay her in the only way he knew how.

"Please, Finn," she begged, rubbing her thighs together to soothe the ache between her legs. "I've waited for so long."

He crawled up the length of her body, his hips resting over hers as they grinded their bodies against one another, building up the friction before she slowly parted her legs. He rested above her and stared down into her lust-filled eyes as he slowly entered her, never breaking eye contact, barely breathing.

When he was fully sheathed inside of her the two lovers gasped as their auras began to glow in tandem, pulsing to the beat of their hearts as their bodies became one. The piece of his aura was no longer missing as he began his steady torture, moving as slowly as possible as the passion began to build. He increased his speed slowly, reveling in the feeling of her body around him, and the keening cries that filled the room. He pumped harder and Rachel began to claw at the skin on his back, releasing her own inner animal as she started to dissolve around him.

With a shuddering cry and a satisfied howl, the two lovers reached the heights of their orgasm together as their auras wrapped around them and bathed them in the purest light. It was the closest Finn would ever get to a religious experience, he was sure of it.

"I love you," he whispered as the two lovers held each other close in the wake of their passion. "After we deal with Warren we're going to find a way to make this work." He kissed her head softly as he thought about the obstacles they still had to face. Finn didn't have a job, or money, or plans, but the thought of living without his mate again was the worst kind of torture he could ever think of as the simple idea filled him with the deepest dread. "We _have_ to make it work."

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><p>Until next time, sings, Don't Stop, Reviewing!<p>

Merci mille fois, mes amis!


	9. The Challenge

DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy!

A/N: Welcome to the final chapter of Howl. I hope you enjoyed this story. Happy Halloween!

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine: The Challenge<strong>

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><p>Lifting out of the peaceful fog of his dreams, Finn felt a kind of contentment that he hadn't experienced in ages. Draped around Rachel's body, he inhaled the scent of her skin and let out a little growl of pleasure when he remembered the events of last night and the reconnection he'd experienced with his mate. He blinked his eyes against the soft sunlight that peeked through Rachel's small windows, highlighting her silhouette as he reached out to make sure that this was real. That it all hadn't been some cruel nightmare and he was actually still in the dark, cold forest all alone.<p>

As his fingers slipped through the curtain of shiny dark hair that rested over her breast, eliciting a soft sigh from the angel in front of him, he knew that it hadn't just been a dream. He and Rachel were together, and he wasn't ever going to leave her side again.

But first, he had to challenge Warren. The challenge had stirred up something purely primal and animalistic inside of him, and he felt the changes coming on swiftly as he tried to struggle against them. The full moon wasn't for weeks; there was no reason why he should be losing control like this. The more he thought about the challenge, however, the more the wolf was struggling to get out.

He tried his hardest to focus but it was no use, as the wolf began to snarl viciously from somewhere deep inside of him_. Challenge Alpha_! It yelled as he felt a surge of power ripple through him. _Challenge alpha and protect mate!_

Laying back in the comfortable bed, he tried his hardest to keep his control in check as Rachel started to stir beside him. He didn't want his glowing red eyes to be the first thing she saw in the morning, but it was too late now as she blinked away the fatigue and stared at his face quizzically.

"Finn?" she yawned deeply as she rubbed her eyes. "Are you okay, baby?"

"I don't know," he confessed, his voice gritty and raw. "The wolf is very restless today. He wants to fight and my control is slipping."

She placed a tender hand on his cheek as he felt his canines lengthen. "You don't have to hide yourself from me anymore, Finn. Just relax and allow the changes. The wolf inside of you is very powerful, and sometimes it's better to let him have his way." Grateful for her blessing, he took steady breaths and stopped fighting against the changes, finishing the transformation in the early hours of the day as the wolf grew more and more restless.

"I need to find a way to get in touch with Warren. We need to fight as soon as possible."

She bit her lip in worry. "I know. I'm scared though. I don't want you to get hurt."

He pulled her into his arms, crushing her against him while his clawed fingers brushed through her hair. "I have to fight him, Rachel. After that we can be free of the pack and live like a regular couple again. I can finally go home and see my parents." He begged for her to understand. "I can't go back to living like an animal."

She nodded. "I know a spell that can locate him and send him a message. We can tell him to meet you someplace upstate, away from other people."

"That seems like the best idea," he agreed, not wanting to be near anyone who might witness the bloody brawl that he was anticipating.

They cuddled together on the bed in silence for a while after that, simply enjoying the pleasure of the other's company as they wasted away the morning hours in bed. Finn kept trying to reverse the changes but it required too much effort, so he stayed like that and Rachel didn't even seem to mind. In fact, it was almost as if she kind of liked it.

Sometime before noon, however, the buzzing of a cell phone interrupted their blissful laziness and Rachel reached over to answer it, scrolling through her phone and giggling as she read the text. "Kurt says he's on his way over. And we better not be naked when he gets here."

"Buzzkill," he muttered, kissing the naked skin of her neck hungrily as he trailed his hands up her midriff. He lightly grazed his claws against her skin and she was practically purring in his arms. Giggling sexily, she slapped his hands away.

"No no no. Time to get up." She playfully pulled him out of bed and he slipped on his boxers and pants as he followed her into her kitchen. She started making her stinky herbal tea and he declined a cup, even after her adamant argument that the tea enhanced the power of the third eye.

About fifteen minutes later, Kurt showed up at Rachel's house and blanched visibly when he saw that Finn was fully transformed. "What happened to you? You didn't look this furry yesterday."

"It's the wolf," Finn said, trying to explain it to his brother. "It wants to fight and he's getting antsy."

"Well, when is this figurative pissing contest taking place?"

"Tonight," he said with conviction, ignoring Kurt's joke. "It has to be," he was nothing but determined as another fierce ripple of power flowed through him. "The wolf is ready."

"I'll gather what I need to perform the location spell. Kurt, can you help me gather the herbs?"

"If I touch something even remotely slimy or gross, Rachel, I'm holding you personally responsible for paying for my therapy." Rachel explained what she needed and Finn smiled as Kurt collected some brightly colored rocks and stones from Rachel's shelves while she measured out different kinds of pungent herbs. She handed Finn a piece of paper and a pen while she set up her altar.

"Write down the message you want to send to Warren. Make sure you direct him to the place you want to meet, and make it as remote as possible." Finn nodded and took a minute to sift through his extensive knowledge of upstate New York. Warren led the pack there a lot in the early summer, and Finn could remember a specific location not too far outside of Pougkeepsie in the Hudson River Valley, about two hours north of the city. He told Warren to meet him there at midnight, in the campsite where the pack had once stayed, deep in the forests of Dutchess County.

"Here you go, Rachel." He passed the paper over to her and she reread it once before folding it and placing it on her altar. She held out a map in front of her, and in her free hand she held a cloudy purple crystal that was attached to a chain, dangling it over the map as she closed her eyes and chanted to herself.

After a minute of repeating the spell, the chain fell from her hand and the crystal landed upright on the map, somewhere in southern Westchester County, a half an hour north of the city. Warren and the pack were close, but at least they were away from the outer boroughs where people could actually get hurt.

Now that Rachel knew where he was, she took the letter in her hands and held it over one of the flames of her candles until it started to burn. When the letter was reduced to ashes, she looked up at Finn and smiled.

"It's done. He knows where to meet you." Kurt stared at Rachel while she swept up the ashes of the letter.

"It's like you're Cher in the _Witches of Eastwick_, or even better, Bette Midler in_ Hocus Pocus!_"

Rachel ignored him and addressed Finn. "We can leave when the sun sets so it will be harder to see your face. We'll get a train to Poughkeepsie from Grand Central."

"_We_?" Finn repeated, panic stirring within him. "We're not going anywhere, Rachel. I'm going alone."

"No way!" she yelled as the flames of the candles on her altar blew out from the swell of magic in the room. Her diva fits had always been intimidating but now their fights were laced with magic and Finn could feel her aura surge with anger. "I'm coming with you. There's no way I'm going to just sit around and watch you walk out of my life again. I won't allow it."

"Rachel, these people are dangerous! They could kill you!"

"And I could kill them too, Finn. One spell from me and I could ruin their lives forever." Her voice was deadly serious as her temper flared. "I can help protect you, Finn. Please. I have to come."

"No," he said, his voice an inhuman growl as Kurt stepped out of the living room, obviously scared. "I won't be able to protect you while I'm fighting Warren, and you're only going to be a distraction. I can't risk it."

Stubborn tears filled her eyes that she refused to let fall. "I need to know that you're going to be okay," she said, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. He walked up to her and placed a hand over her chest, where their hearts still beat as one.

"You _will_ know, Rachel. I have to do this by myself."

She sniffled miserably, and refusing to make eye contact, left the living room and headed for her bedroom where Kurt was quick to follow without saying another word. It hurt him to know that she was so upset, but he was doing this for her, to ensure that they even had a future together after tonight.

All he had to do now, was wait.

* * *

><p>It was lonely on the train as he made his way up to Poughkeepsie in the middle of the night; leaving Rachel in Brooklyn had been difficult, but he knew he was making the right choice as he thought about Warren's past threats and the danger that Rachel would be in around the pack. Kurt was still there with her so she wouldn't be lonely, and if he won he would be seeing her in a matter of hours, ready to start their lives together.<p>

Hiding his face from view with an over-sized hoodie, he tried his best to disguise the canine features that had never disappeared throughout the day. The wolf was aching for his battle, and could neither be tamed nor controlled now that the fight was mere hours away. He thought about the pack, and his future role as alpha. Would they even accept him as their new leader? The only person he trusted to be on his side was Nick, but until Warren was gone, his allegiance was still bound to the group.

When he arrived in town he could immediately smell the lingering traces of his pack in the air. They had headed through here not too long ago, and he could tell that they were still nearby. He followed the scent of them deep into the forest, and familiarized himself with his surroundings as he ran deeper and deeper into the wilderness. After running through the darkness for what seemed like hours, he approached a familiar location where his own stale scent lingered in the air.

It was a small clearing surrounded by dense trees where an abandoned cabin stood, steadily falling apart and dilapidated with age. While the pack had mostly slept outside, they valued little places like this for when it rained, and the fire pit was currently ablaze as the clearing was basked in an eerie glow.

He smelled the rest of the pack before he saw them; one by one they stepped into the clearing with various looks adorning their features. Some of them were gazing at Finn with respect in their eyes; like Nick and some of the other younger wolves. Some of them had nothing but hatred for Finn as they glared at the traitor in their midst.

Finally, Warren emerged from the heavy brush and Finn was immediately on full alert as he joined Finn in the center of the clearing. A steady growl escaped his throat as he came face to face with his former pack master; the person who had threatened his mate and ripped him away from his friends and family.

"Finn," the alpha greeted him curtly, a blazing hatred glowing in his red eyes. "Do I need to explain the rules?"

"I don't think that's necessary," Finn said, as the two men started to pace around each other. He watched as Warren forced the transformation and snarled at his competition. Their red eyes met each other as the growls and snarls increased in volume and frequency. There was silence amongst the other men as they huddled around the two wolves in a circle. Finn met Nick's eyes for a moment and his friend nodded his encouragement.

Then, Warren attacked.

His body moved like a blur as he swiped his claws inches from Finn's jugular, and he jumped backwards away from the alpha, using his momentum to land on his haunches and prepare to counterstrike. He flew forward and connected with Warren's chest, knocking them both back with he force of his blow and slamming them against the ground. He heard Warren cough for air as they landed, and Warren quickly kicked Finn in the chest, _hard_, sending him flying as the pack-master jumped to his feet.

Finn didn't waste any time as he lunged at his target, extending his claws and connecting with the soft flesh of Warren's shoulder, tearing into the skin and ripping a huge gash down towards his chest. He stumbled, completely shocked as the blood started to flow freely from the ugly wounds. Warren grabbed the shoulder with his free hand and snarled viciously at Finn while trying to keep his distance.

"Just a scratch," he spit out, glaring at Finn while they paced around in a tight circle. Finn noticed the older wolf sway dangerously and knew he had the advantage. "That mate of yours did more damage with her little pimples than you could ever do. Maybe you should have brought her along for the show so she could see what kind of monster she really lets into her bed."

"Don't you _dare_ talk about my mate like that!" He roared as a surge of power coursed through his blood. His mate was his strength, his source of power, and he could almost feel her own magic surge through him while Warren smirked maliciously. He ran forward to attack but Warren jumped out of his way and let out a hollow laugh.

"Maybe when I'm done with you I'll track her down and make her my mate after I kill you. A powerful bitch like her would be the perfect addition to the pack." The threat set his blood ablaze with anger as the wolf inside of him was begging to rip him into shreds. Losing the rest of his control, he snapped as he sped forward, letting the wolf take full control as his hands reached forward and closed around Warren's neck. Squeezing, he felt a sadistic yet satisfying pleasure as he watched Warren struggle to breathe, fighting against Finn's hold but failing to overpower him. The men around them watched in shock as their old alpha fell victim to the stronger wolf.

"You knew before anyone else that I was stronger than you, but you still tried to hide it because you were afraid of me. I know that now." Warren clawed at Finn's hands but he ignored the blood dripping down his arms and squeezed even tighter, making Warren's eyes almost bulge out of his face. "If you want to live, then renounce your position as alpha and pledge your loyalty to me. If not, I snap your neck like a twig."

Warren looked panicked, but he snarled at Finn and choked out an answer. "Never. The pack is mine, and your little witch is _dead_ when I find her!"

Any sympathy he had left for Warren dissipated as his resolve was set. "Wrong answer," was all Finn said before holding his head in his hands and snapping his neck, the sickening crack filling the forest as the lifeless body slumped to his feet. All of a sudden, a burst of power filled his every pore and almost left him breathless as strength rippled through his every muscle. He stretched out his limbs, reveling in the magic that surged within him.

Warren was dead.

He was the alpha now.

Looking around the group that surrounded him, _his_ pack, he stared into the eyes of the men around him and adressed them at full voice. "I'm giving you all a choice," he commanded. "You can either leave and find a pack for yourselves, or stay with me. I refuse to live like an animal anymore, but it would be better to maintain pack status during the nights of the Full Moon, so we don't have to be alone." Some of the men looked hesitant, but he continued. "It's all up to you. We should all have the opportunity to be normal again, but we cannot deny what the wolf wants."

"I'm in, Finn," Nick stepped forward and placed a closed fist over his chest as he stood in front of his new alpha. "I might not be able to pick up where I left off, but at least I can try to make a fresh start." Finn nodded his agreement as a few other guys stepped forward. He noticed a couple of older men run from the clearing, but he couldn't be bothered to care. He finally had his independence back and now he and Rachel could be together.

Throwing his head back in the air, Finn let out a victorious howl as the new alpha took control of his pack and rejoiced in his freedom under the stars.

* * *

><p>She had been waiting for this moment for a long, long time; anticipating the night when she would actually witness Finn's full lupine transformation under the shining full moon. For weeks she had been begging him to tag along on the night that he so despised, promising him that her barrier spells would be enough to keep her safe from the power of the wolf. After endless fights filled with screaming, crying, and clashing surges of magic, he finally relented after inviting Nick over to test her spells out. She had passed with flying colors, but poor Nick had splitting migraines and muscle aches for a week. She made him a necklace like Finn's to help dull his senses as a thank you.<p>

She was glad that Finn had a friend that he could trust in the New York area. Nick had promised to help run the pack as Finn's beta, or second in command to the alpha. Nick didn't want to return home to Pennsylvania, so he stayed in New York where he and Finn were now working as bouncers at a club in the city. It wasn't much, but it was enough to put money in their pockets and keep them focused now that they were a part of society again. Nick had even started seeing a girl, even though they were light-years away from mate status. Most of the other men from the pack had either stayed in the northern and western suburbs of the city, or left to go their separate ways.

Finn was transitioning back into his old roles quite smoothly, and just last week they contacted his parents in Lima. They were going to visit Lima for Thanksgiving, and Finn was starting to plan out the conversation with his parents, and how he would explain his new condition. They were both nervous of his parents reaction, but they still had some time before the reunion could take place.

Right now, however, they had to survive the night of the October full moon. They took the train to Poughkeepsie together; Finn's face was covered since he had the most trouble controlling his features when the moon was full, and Rachel was holding a giant backpack full of the supplies that she was going to need for the night. They were going to be meeting in the woods where Finn had defeated Warren, and while she knew that Finn had been the one to kill him, she couldn't blame him for spilling blood. Warren was a threat to both her safety and his, and even though it was cruel to think so, she knew that all of their lives were better without Warren Rodgers in it.

They were planning on meeting Nick at the cabin, along with any of the other men from Finn's pack who wanted to join them for the shift. While most of them had left the pack for good, a few of them still relied on the comfort and protection that the pack provided on the nights of the full moon. Finn was more than willing to oblige their requests to join him, and Rachel had a special spell planned for them that she was anxious to set up. By the time their train reached Poughkeepsie the sun had already started to set, and they had precious little time left before the moon started to rise.

Finn ran through the forest with Rachel on his back, flying through the trees as the last rays of light sunk below the horizon. When they made it to the small clearing, she was surprised when she noticed how many others had actually shown up. There were about seven other men here. They hadn't been expecting that many.

"Hey guys," Finn greeted amicably. She realized that this was the first time meeting the rest of Finn's pack besides Nick, and felt a little bit awkward under their intense stares. "This is my mate, Rachel. She's going to perform some protection spells to keep us safe tonight." She waved shyly at them and they all nodded towards her in greeting. Slipping her backpack off of her shoulders, she entered the dilapidated cabin, setting up the supplies she was going to need for the spell; a canister of salt, four totems that she created from wood and flowers, and the different colored candles and crystals she would need.

"Here," she insisted, handing one totem each to four of the men in Finn's pack. "Take these totems and stick them in the ground, a mile away in every direction; north, south, east and west. It will create a barrier that will keep you all from wandering too far away during the night. That way, we can know for sure that he surrounding areas will be safe."

"What about you?" Nick asked as the other men ran off with her totems. She might not be a wolf, but as the alphas mate she still commanded their respect. "You're going to be trapped inside the barrier with eight hungry animals."

"Nope, not exactly," she declared, taking her canister of salt and exiting the shack. She started to pour it around the foundation of the cabin, in a giant circle, until a ring of salt was visible on the forest floor. "This ring of salt will seal me inside once I cast my protection spells. I'll be safe all night long. And in the morning I can even make us all breakfast if you find your way back here!" She finished her task and rejoined the rest of the boys who were still staring at her in awe. "The moon is about to rise," she stated softly, staring up at the darkness of the sky as the other men returned from the task she had given them.

"I know," Finn approached her slowly, pulling down his hoodie and staring at her while his eyes glowed a vibrant, crimson red. "You should get inside the cabin."

She nodded as the other men disappeared into the trees, and she saw the pain register on his face as the changes began. Grabbing him by the lapel of his sweater, she pulled his face down to meet hers in a kiss filled with urgency and desperation. She didn't know what to expect but she knew it had to be painful, seeing as his face was already tight and rigid with pain. His hands rested on her shoulders and he gently pushed her back when he knew it was time.

"I love you," she said as the moonlight bathed the clearing in a soft glow. He nodded and forced a smile.

"I'll see you in the morning," he replied solemnly, gritting his teeth against the pain as she backed up away from him and ran into the cabin. She quickly sealed the door with every protection and barrier spell that she knew, and stood at the window so she could see the transformation with her own eyes.

By the time she made it to the window, Finn was already naked; his clothes a bundle of fabric by his feet as he stood there waiting under the light of the full moon. She grabbed a spare blanket from her bag and wrapped it around her body, just as Finn started to double over from pain. All she wanted to do was run to him and help, but she knew she couldn't as she stayed in place and witnessed the nightmare unfolding in front of her. An agonized scream ripped from his throat and their hearts started to pound as the sound of crunching bones filled the night sky.

Screaming once more, she watched as Finn fell to all fours as his body continued to shift and change. She could barely stand to watch anymore as his face morphed from human to canine, and she finally looked away as an inhuman snarl resonated outside of the small cabin. After a few tense moments where his tortured cries were the only thing she could hear over the pounding of their hearts, she peeked over the blanket and saw the largest, most vicious animal she had ever seen in her life standing where Finn had just been.

Rearing it's massive head back, the animal let out a chilling howl that made goosebumps erupt all over her body as she took in it's enormous size. It glanced at the cabin once before running into the forest and disappearing into the night.

She cried all night long as the sound of howls echoed all around her.

Eight hours later, when the moon finally set and the sun started to rise over the plentiful valleys of upstate New York, Rachel left the cabin with a blanket in her arms and Finn's extra clothes in her bag. Breakfast was cooking slowly over the fire pit as Rachel headed into the woods to try and look for the men.

She didn't have to look far. She took a few steps into the woods and immediately came across Finn's sleeping body, covered in dirt and cuts and bruises yet sleeping somewhat peacefully. Her barrier spells had worked, and she knew deep down that the other men weren't too far away and would catch up with them soon. Sinking down to the forest floor, she draped the blanket over his nakedness and stroked his hair until he started to wake up.

"Rachel?" His voice was raw from the pain as his bleary eyes met hers with a tint of worry in them. "You're okay?"

"Of course, Finn." He slowly started to get up and she helped him maintain his balance as she led him back to the cabin. This was their life now, and she was going to do whatever she had to do in order for her mate to be safe, even if it meant spending every night of the full moon just like this. They were going to make this work, no matter what. "Everything is going to be okay."

* * *

><p><strong>THE END<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Halloween!<br>**


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